English 90S.05 “Mystery and Detective Fiction” Field Trip
Gregory Brennen took his English 90S.05 “Mystery and Detective Fiction: Sex and Secrets in Mystery Fiction from Sherlock Holmes to Harry Potter” on a class field trip. The class attended a performance of The Moors at Manbites Dog Theater, in Durham, NC.
Brennen described The Moors as a contemporary play based on 19th century literature. He felt that it had a lot of resonances with the themes from his “Detective Fiction “course, including a country house mystery, gender issues, and Gothic tropes.
"We loved the Moors! It was a personal and captivating story that included romance, humor, and introspection — would definitely recommend a Wednesday night at Manbites Dog Theatre to anyone looking for a fun night in Durham.” — Matt Wisner and Sarah Armstrong
The students in English 90S.05 had a special discussion about the play while enjoying some food during class on Friday, March 9.
"I thought the show was very interesting and very unexpected; it completely twisted the whole idea of the Victorian novel. I loved how cyclical the whole plot was with everything ending just as it had begun on the Moors.” — Dara Kovacheva
"Experiencing The Moors allowed me to reflect upon themes such as happiness, love, and what it means to live. It was a thoroughly thought-provoking and enjoyable experience, and I’m glad that we were able to see the play together as a class.” — Ben Xu
