C16. Key Issues in Modern American Drama (Barbara McCarthy) (Fri)

This course will examine how five major issues in America’s past 80 years have been presented on stage:  the conflict between science and religion in Inherit the Wind, the rise of unions and the Red Scare in Waiting for Lefty, war profiteering in All My Sons, violence in human nature in Zoo Story and True West and whether collapse of family relationships parallels the collapse of national values in August: Osage County.

GROUP LEADER:  Barbara McCarthy has been teaching in the Humanities and Arts Department at WPI, primarily composition and public speaking courses for international students but also American lit classes.  Now semi-retired, she teaches a course in American drama there.

REQUIRED BOOKS: (all available in libraries):

1) Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee (Ballantine 2007) ISBN#: 0345501039;

Read Inherit the Wind by first class.

2) Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets (Dramatists Play Service) ISBN#: 0822212153;

3) All My Sons by Arthur Miller (Penguin 2000), ISBN-10: 0141185465;

4) The American Dream and Zoo Story by Edward Albee (Plume) ISBN# 0452278899;

5) True West by Sam Shephard (Samuel French 1981) ISBN#: 0573617287;

6) August Osage County by Tracy Letts (Dramatists Play Service 2009), ISBN#: 0822223007