Course Syllabus
Greek Drama in Performance
Course Description
What is drama? When and where were the first systematic theatrical performances put on? What can Athenian tragedies and comedies teach us about the classical world and today’s societies? Why do these plays still captivate modern audiences? This course will explore the always-relevant world of Ancient Greek theater, its history, and development, through the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. We will decode the structure and content of Greek tragedies and comedies, ponder their place in the Athenian society and the modern world, and investigate the role of both ancient and contemporary productions in addressing critical questions on the construction and performance of individual and communal identities.
Note: this class is an ACE Theoretical course, meaning it focuses on a theoretical exploration of civic engagement. At Carleton, Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) has long referred to an approach to education focused on community-based learning; these courses focus on issues of democracy, such as social justice and positionality, and forms of systemic oppression, and directly explore how students might engage in work towards social change.
Required and Recommended Textbooks
Storey, I.C. and Allan, A. 2013. A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama. Malden. ISBN: 1405102144
Romm, J.S. and Lefkowitz, M.R. 2016. The Greek Plays: Sixteen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. New York. ISBN: 9780812983098
Sommerstein, A.H. 2002. Lysistrata and Other Plays. London (Penguin Classics). ISBN: 9780140448146
All other readings and works will be available on Moodle.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, students should be able to do the following in terms of familiarizing themselves with the content of the course and enhancing their critical thinking and communication skills:
Identify, describe, and explain the fundamental aspects of Greek drama, and interpret fifth-century BCE Athenian tragedy and comedy as a cultural product of a specific social and political environment
Identify the historical and social contexts in which Athenian tragedies and comedies were created, comment on the social issues that emerge in ancient Greek drama, and explain how these might resonate for a contemporary audience
Analyze and critically interpret individual ancient Greek tragedies and comedies as well as their modern reworkings in their social and political contexts
Discuss and critically analyze evidence from primary and secondary sources with an awareness of their own culturally situated perspectives and prejudices
Formulate thoughtful, evidence-based responses to course questions and express those responses clearly in oral and written formats
Work collaboratively to design and perform an original production of an ancient tragedy that will express its relevance to current concerns and address issues that the staging of tragedy poses for contemporary creators
Course Assignments and Activities
The class will foster critical and creative thinking by prompting students to consider the following questions among many more: What can Athenian tragedies and comedies teach us about the Athenian society of their time and today’s societies? Why are Greek tragedies and comedies still relevant today? What can the performance of ancient drama today teach us about the ancient text and the culture that produced it? How can we stage ancient Greek tragedy today?
To answer these questions, we will:
read selected Athenian tragedies and comedies in their own cultural and historical context while engaging with contemporary scholarship,
read and/or watch contemporary plays which have been inspired by Greek Drama,
put on a public performance of an excerpt of an ancient tragedy.
The objectives and goals mentioned above will be accomplished through:
Contributing To Our Community (40%)
In line with the ACE approach to education, we will be approaching this class as a community of scholars, based on the principle that collaborative and reflective inquiry facilitates both your personal and intellectual growth. Participation in our community is therefore weighted accordingly, and will be assessed via the following methods:
o Attendance and Class Participation: Your participation is essential, and readings must be completed ahead of time. You are expected to come to every class and actively engage in synchronous discussions. The synchronous discussions will foster creative and multi-layered thinking by prompting you to interpret the social commentary of the plays and find reflections of the plays’ themes in other works of different fields such as novels, movies, music, and plastic arts. In every class session, you will be engaged in discussions that address issues posed by the plays and will be encouraged to express your ideas drawing on your experiences and complimentary sources you will be provided with, including secondary readings, movies, and more.
o Leading a class discussion: beginning in week 3, you will be in charge of helping to lead part of our class discussion. Each student should expect to do one such presentation during the term (I will create a sign-up form on Moodle for these presentations). Your goals as discussion leaders are: 1) briefly summarize what you understand to be the main themes/points of the assigned reading; 2) respond in some way to the reading, either criticizing them, adding to them, or comparing/connecting to other materials from the class or the wider world; 3) lead class into a discussion of the topics/issues raised by the reading.
o Entries in your class journal (I will provide the journals): you will be provided with opportunities in class to reflect on class content, as well as your learning and participation; you can also use your journal for reading/discussion notes, and as a place to prepare your discussion leader presentations. I will collect your journals at the end of weeks 3, 6, and 9 to provide feedback on your contributions to our community.
Contributing to our College Community: Public Performance (25% of final grade)
A 15-to-20-minute public performance of an excerpt from a tragedy we have discussed. The grading of the assignment will include the assessment of the performance (text adaptation-if applicable-, acting, directing, set design, props) itself and its overall production, as well as your short presentation during the discussion panel after the performance. You need to submit your group proposals for performances (plays, scenes, groups) by 10/28. The public performance will take place on the last day of classes (11/20). The final performance will be followed by a post-performance symposium where you will get to share your experience and challenges performing a Greek play.
Contributing to the Broader Community: Blog Post Project (35% of final grade)
One of the main objectives of an ACE course is to take our class content and do something beyond the classroom. Thus, as a class we will create a blog focused on Ancient Greek drama, connecting its themes and characters to contemporary issues or discussing its use as a community engagement or social-activism tool. Each one of you will be responsible for writing a blog post (800-1000). The blog will serve as a community resource, making Athenian drama accessible and relevant to a broader audience. This project will be completed in stages (scaffolded) to ensure depth and organization. The final submission will be due on exam days.
Weekly Class Schedule
Note: All READ, WATCH, LISTEN, and ACTIVITY items should be completed before the class they are assigned to. All readings (except for the textbook) will be posted to Moodle.
Week 1
Monday 9/16: Introduction to the class
· Discus: Syllabus & General Information + Defining Drama
Wednesday 9/18: Theorizing Greek Drama
· Watch: An Introduction to Greek Theatre
· Read: Ch. 1 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 1-24 and pp. 51-71
Friday 9/20: Greek Tragedy in Performance 1 (Background, Space, and Content)
· Read: Ch. 2 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 72-92
· Activity: Complete the “Getting to Know You” Survey on Moodle
Week 2
Monday 9/23: Greek Tragedy and the Polis
· Read: Aeschylus’ Agamemnon (Oresteia)
· Read: Ch. 2 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 93-110
· Activity: Journal Reflection on our “open-air theater” experience outside Anderson
Wednesday 9/25: Greek Tragedy and the Polis
· Read: Aeschylus’ The Libation Bearers and Eumenides (Oresteia)
Friday 9/27: Greek Tragedy in Performance 2 (The Actor)
· Watch: The Oresteia (Agamemnon 1 and 2) directed by Peter Hall
· Discuss: Classical Reception Studies (Definition, Field history and Practices)
Week 3
Monday 9/30: Greek Tragedy and the Polis in Modern Times
· Watch: Yael Farber’s Molora
· Read: Weyenberg, A. 2011. “Staging transition: the Oresteia in post-apartheid South Africa.”
· Activity: Journal Reflection on differences between Makaronas’ and Hall’s staging of Agamemnon
Wednesday 10/02: Greek Tragedy and the Self
· Read: Sophocles’ Oedipus King
· Read: Ch. 2 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 110-132
Friday 10/04: Greek Tragedy and the Self in Modern Times
· Watch: The Oedipus Project by Theater of War
Week 4
Monday 10/07: Greek Tragedy, the Self, and the Polis
· Read: Sophocles’ Antigone
· Watch: ‘Antigone’ Family Versus State
Wednesday 10/09: Greek Tragedy in Performance 3 (The Chorus)
· Watch: The Ancient Greek Chorus in Historical Context: Paradise by Kae Tempest
· Watch: Modern Interpretation of Greek Chorus
· Watch: “Antigone”: The Ancient Greek Chorus
· Watch: Polly Findlay’s Antigone (Royal National Theatre)
Friday 10/11: Greek Tragedy, the Self, and the Polis in Modern Times
· Read: Kani, J. and Ntshona, W. The Island
· Read: Gordon, R. (2012). “Fugard, Kani, Ntshona’s The Island: Antigone as South African Drama.” Comparative Drama, 46(3), 379–399.
Week 5
Monday 10/14: Greek Tragedy and the Other in the Polis
· Read: Euripides’ Medea
· Read: Ch. 2 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 133-152
· Watch: BBC Learning Zone Medea
· Activity: Submit Proposal for Blog Post Topic
Wednesday 10/16: Greek Tragedy and the Other in the Polis in Modern Times 1
· Watch: Luis Alfaro’s Mojada directed by Terry Boero
· Read: Verano, R. (2024). “Medea in the Borderlands. The New Mestiza in Luis Alfaro’s Mojada.” In A. Prata & R. Verano (Eds.), Medea’s Long Shadow in Postcolonial Contexts
(pp. 106–122). Routledge.
Friday 10/18: Greek Tragedy and the Other in the Polis in Modern Times 2
· Watch: In Search of Greek Theatre #2: Medea (2014) at the National Theatre (7:08’-9:34’)
· Watch: Carrie Cracknell’s Medea (Royal National Theatre)
· Activity: Journal Reflection Question
Week 6
Wednesday 10/23: Greek Tragedy, the Self, and War
· Read: Sophocles’ Ajax
Friday 10/25: Greek Tragedy as a Community-Engagement Tool
· Read: Doerries, B. 2015. “American Ajax” in The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today. Vintage.
· Listen: “This is You.” Finding Ourselves in Ancient Greek Plays w/ B. Doerries (Book Dreams - on Spotify)
Week 7
Monday 10/28: “Activating Social Justice through the Arts” Workshop (Pangea World Theater)
· Activity: Submit Blog Post for Peer Review
Wednesday 10/30: Greek Tragedy, the Other, and War
· Read: Euripides’ Trojan Women
· Read: McDonald, M. (2006). “War Then and Now: The Legacy of Ancient Greek Tragedy. Hermathena, 181, 83–104.
Friday 11/01: Acting Workshop by Prof. Jeanne Willcoxon, Carleton College
· Activity: Submit Proposal for final performance
Week 8
Monday 11/04: Greek Tragedy in Performance 4 (Tragedy and Politics)
· Read: Goldhill, S. 2004. “What’s Hecuba to Him?”
Wednesday 11/06: Greek Tragedy, the Other, and War in Modern Times
· Screening: Queens of Syria
· Activity: Submit Peer Reviews
Friday 11/08: Theorizing Greek Comedy
· Read: Ch. 4 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 173-197
· Watch: An Introduction to Greek Comedy and Satyr Drama
· Watch: Why is Aristophanes called "The Father of Comedy"?
Week 9
Monday 11/11: Greek Comedy and the Polis
· Read: Aristophanes’ Acharnians
· Read: Ch. 4 from A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama, pp. 210-219
· Activity: Journal Reflection Question
Wednesday 11/13: Greek Comedy and Tragedy
· Read: Aristophanes’ Frogs
Friday 11/15: Review
Week 10
Monday 11/18: Rehearsal
· Activity: Journal Reflection Question
Wednesday 11/20: Final Performance and Round-Table Discussion