Assignment:
Epic Theater as a genre
Style Project: For this project you will teach the class about certain dramatic styles that many plays are written in. You will be an expert on this style. This means that you will need to discuss the tenets or philosophy of the style and what your particular style hopes or hoped to accomplish by writing in this way.. Why authors chose to write in the style. What were the authors rebelling or revolting against. ( Each style goes against breaks or pulls away from the previous one for some reason) Who are the major players, thinkers or authors in this style. What did they write? Give examples of this style (show me examples from different works that emulate this style) and explain how it conforms to the styles ideas and philosophy. The method or your teaching style should contain: a PowerPoint presentation, which outlines and explains your styles ideas, examples of work and how the examples you have chosen demonstrate the styles philosophy. You will also need to explain the major figures and what they hoped to accomplish by wiring in this style. And you need to explain how the style influenced their current culture and perhaps even demonstrate a connection of how we can see elements of this style in today's media and entertainment. You will need to be prepared to answer any questions that I, myself or others students pose about your particular style. You will also need to give a time reference where we could see where it fits into a time line. You may want to discuss, very briefly, what came before and what came after your particular movement. You will also need to provide a bibliography, which students will be able to look up and find information about that particular style.
Here is a list of styles you may choose from: Aristotelian Tragedy, Old Comedy, New Comedy, Neoclassic Tragedy (the ideas of decorum), Romanticism, Naturalism, Realism, Symbolism, Futurism, Bauhaus, Dada, Surrealism, Expressionism, Absurdist, Well-made play, Epic Theatre, Theatre of Cruelty, Theatre of the Oppressed, Postmodern, Avante-guard, Restoration, Harlem Renaissance, Religious (Contemporary Church Drama).