| Course ID: | THEA 4300/6300. 3 hours. |
| Course Title: | Queer Theatre and Film |
Course
Description: | Overview of the presentation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered characters in theatre, film, and television.
Through readings of theoretical texts and dramatic scripts and
through viewings of films and theatre productions, students will
examine the social, historical, artistic, and political context
in which queer performance has been created and the manner in
which the queer character has been presented in dramatic forms
from prehistoric ritual drama to the present day sitcom. |
| Oasis Title: | Queer Theatre and Film |
Semester Course
Offered: | Not offered on a regular basis. |
| Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
| Course Objectives: | Students will become acquainted with the history of the queer
character as presented in dramatic forms from the prehistoric to
the present day. Through readings of Queer Theorists, dramatic
scripts, and performance viewings they will better understand the
manner in which the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered
experience has been portrayed to audiences and how the
development of that portrayal has reflected and affected changes
in social, historical, political, religious, and sexual
discourse. Questions to be raised include; What is queer
performance? What’s it mean to “play gay” or “play straight”?
Is it only about sexuality? What is the relationship between
politics, identity, and performance? Students will come away
with a deeper understanding of what it means to present and/or
embody a gay , lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered character and
how to analyze the multi-layered social implications of that
presentation. In addition, through assigned viewings of famous
films and theatre performances they will deepen their aesthetic
sense while becoming familiar with the seminal works of the queer
dramatic canon. |
| Topical Outline: | 1. Defining Queer Drama
A. Manner and Style in which the following are presented
1.Sex
2. Sexuality
3.Gender
4. Sensibility/Camp
5.Closet Drama/Overtone
B. Looking through Queer Eyes
1. The Shift in “Reading” what is Queer: Pre Stonewall to Post
Stonewall to Post AIDS
2. The Need for a Mirror..Chasing Role Models
3. The Mirror Has Two Faces…Subversion
4. The Mirror Cracks…..Redefining the Queer
5. Is Queer always Gay? The Birth of the Homosexual vs. The
Birth of the Queer
2. Queer Theatre History: Pre 20th Century
A. Pre Christian Ritual
B. Greco/Roman Drama
C. Medieval Mystery Plays
D. Renaissance …Shakespeare, Marlowe
E. Restoration Comedies
F. Victorian….Wilde
3. Queer Theatre Film and TV: 20th Century
A. Early 20th Cent Themes
1.The Forbidden Love
2.The Predator
B. Mid 20th Cent Themes
1.The Closet
2. Better Off Dead
C. Late 20th Cent Themes
1.Gay Power and Pride
2. AIDS
4. Present Day Presentation of the Queer
A. Drag
C. Bisexuality
D. The power of the gay demographic…the queer TV Explosion
E. Where to now? |
| Honor Code Reference: | All academic work must meet the standards contained in “A
Culture of Honesty”. Each student is responsible to inform
themselves about those standards before performing any academic
work. Quotes from plays, reviews, critiques, web material must
all be cited in papers submitted for this course.
Students are expected to adhere to the University Honor Code and
Honesty Policy.
UGA Student Honor Code: “I will be academically honest in all of
my academic work and will not tolerate academic dishonesty of
others.” A Culture of Honesty , the University’s policy and
procedures for handling cases of suspected dishonesty, can be
found at www.uga.edu/ovpi. |