HUAS80100 - Investigating Short Plays for the Theatre

Course Description

Plays need not last an entire evening. In fact, many playwrights choose to write theatrical works in shorter form that last anywhere from ten-minutes to an hour. In this class we’ll read and discuss a variety of short plays by such notable writers as Christopher Durang, Maria Irene Fornes, John Guare, David Hare, Beth Henley, Vaclav Havel, Tony Kushner, Regina Taylor and August Wilson. We will examine how these comedies and dramas function by focusing on character, plot, structure, language, theme and idea. By the end of eights weeks, participants will have studied 20 to 24 shorts plays and gained a greater appreciation of the skill, care and craftsmanship that goes into a concise piece of theatre.