In this course, we analyze key texts from the history of modern dramatic literature starting in 1940 and proceeding to the end of the twentieth century. Starting with the 'non-Aristotelian' drama of Bertolt Brecht, we trace the rapid evolution of dramatic forms that characterized playwriting in Europe, England, and then the United States. We will analyze not only the scripts but also various productions of each of these significant plays by significant playwrights, ranging from Bertolt Brecht and Samuel Beckett to Tony Kushner and Sarah Kane.
