THDA 325 - Labor and Class and the Theater

Cross-Listed as AMST 325.

Join the conversations around class and the development of the labor movement in the US from the late 1800s to the present day through the lens of the theater and the people who worked in it. We will ask how the economic and political landscape shaped their working conditions, and how the arts themselves then shaped that same landscape. We will engage with this great conversation through 8-9 plays on power, labor and class struggle and analyze them in their context both as pieces of theatrical entertainment and political statements. Throughout the semester, students will also research parallel developments in other parts of the world and will present a research and analysis paper comparing and contrasting their findings with the material presented in class. Alternate spring semesters. (4 Credits)