THRART 201: Theatre History: Origins-1660

Theatre is endemic to the human condition. Every culture, throughout recorded history, has created forms of performance to satisfy the mimetic instinct. Naturally, the types of performance we find in various places and times demonstrate very different structures and functions, answering the particular needs of the cultures that created them. This course will survey the development of theatre from origins to 1660. In addition to reading plays, we will consider such issues as the physical form of the stage, various approaches to acting, the changing constitution of audiences, and costume history, all with a mind to exploring the socio-historical forces that influenced the development of the theatre.