THTR 290 - Topics in Performing Arts

FDR: HA
Credits: 3 credits in fall or winter, 4 in spring

Prerequisite: Three credits in theater and instructor consent, but may vary with topic. Selected studies in theater, film or dance with a focus on history, criticism, performance or production. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Winter 2019, THTR 290-01: Topics in Performing Arts: The American Dream in Post-1954 Black Drama (3). No prerequisites or consent necessary for this section. While Alain Locke, as early as the Harlem Renaissance, prophesied great things for African American dramatists, it was not until the early days of the Civil Rights Movement that his optimism was fully gratified. After Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun appeared though, black Americans garnered multiple Pulitzer prizes and, by most accounts, became vibrant contributors to a national theater. In part, this contribution has been defined by an ironic view of that success narrative known as “The American Dream.” This course explores African American drama since 1954, focusing on the interplay between black selfhood and the evolving notion of an American Dream. Examining pivotal plays from this period, we analyze what makes the struggle for progress an ambiguous, yet attractive topic for black playwrights. (HA) M. Hill.