DESCRIPTION
Stage Comedy has long depended on sex for laughs, whether in the realm of the vulgar or of the romantic. Over the centuries the formulas have not changed so much as have our perceptions of “what’s funny.” Here we will study three plays that trace the arc from ancient Greece to Broadway, studying Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, G.B. Shaw’s Pygmalion, and Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House.
ZOOM LINK: Available on website to paid and registered members
CLASS LIMIT: 95
INSTRUCTOR: Helen Whall After finishing her Ph.D. at Yale University, Helen joined the faculty at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. There she taught Shakespeare and the Renaissance as well as modern drama. Since retiring in 2017, Helen has offered several courses for WISE.
READING: Instructor will provide required edition of Lysistrata for reading assignments.
REQUIRED BOOKS: Any edition of G.B. Shaw’s Pygmalion, and Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House.
