BLS 343: Big Plays, Big Ideas
Throughout history theater has served as a site for the imaginative exploration of big ideas in dramatic stories. This course will examine fifteen big plays (comedies, tragedies and dramas) that grapple with significant issues and ideas. These are plays that have survived the ‘test-of-time' and through the power of words, characters and actions illuminate the human experience. They are plays that address fundamental questions that are central to the Humanities such as "Who am I", "What is my purpose in life," "What is the truth," "Why is there suffering" and "How is happiness achieved?" The plays will be examined both as works of literature and 'scores' intended for performance.
