The seminar aims to give students the opportunity to analyze drama texts and contemporary performance practices. The idea behind this is that the students should train their visual awareness, which also means that even students who have had little previous experience with the genre drama text, or with theater generally, are introduced to the goal of observing and recognizing theatrical elements, and providing a well founded critical analysis. Preoccupation with selected texts serves to prepare students for approaching performances. In addition, the particularities of this genre of drama text are explored in order to facilitate a fundamental understanding of the respective play. Texts on drama theory also provide an extended approach, as well as philosophical and historical backgrounds, foreign influences and the biography of the author.
The second focal point of this course is drama texts in relation to contemporary stage practices at that time. For this reason, the course looks into the intentions and means of modern critical theater work. Consideration of self conception of the theater, of its meaning for society, of its intentional and potential effects is, at this junction, just as necessary as the attempt to describe contemporary societal structures. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how critical theater work is capable of extracting a sense of urgency which in turn justifies the (still relatively high) subsidies it receives in Germany.
Prerequisites:
None
Learning outcomes:
This seminar enables students to learn in a visual and critical way. By the end of the course, students are able to better and adequately describe and criticize what happens on stage.
Method of presentation:
Lectures and discussion, oral reports by the students
Required work and form of assessment:
Mid-term (20%)
final exam (30%),
term paper (25%),
oral report (25%).
content:
Precise content varies from semester to semester, depending on the current stage bill of local and regional theaters.
1. Büchner, Georg. Leonce und Lena. Berliner Ensemble, Robert Wilson (Video), Robert Wilson as an example of a modern interpretation of „old“ material, and as a comparison extracts from the performance of the Salzburg Drama Festival in 1976, Director: Jürgen Flimm (Video).
2. Tschechow, Der Kirchgarten, Staatstheater Stuttgart
3. Thomas Mann, Die Buddenbrooks, Theater Freiburg
4. Lewis Caroll, Alice im Wunderland hinter den Spiegeln, Theater im Marienbad
5. Heinrich von Kleist, Michael Kolhaas, Theater Freiburg
6. Mozart, Le nozze di figaro, Theater Basel
7. eventuell Nathan (Theaterproject nach Lessing), Theater Freiburg
8. Compact seminar. Presentations of important theories of drama and theater
9. Shakespeare, Der Sturm (mit Musik von Jean Sibelius)
10. Wallgrabentheater, Ariel Dorfmann, Der Tod und das Mädchen
11. Talking to theater-makers
12. Behind the scenes: guided tour of Freiburg theater
13. Internal workshop: producing stage scenery
14. Theater excursion to Basel, supposedly: R. Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer
15. Performing students’ own written scetches at the last day of class
Required readings:
Büchner, Georg. Leonce und Lena, Lustspiel. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1994. Texts on current theater pieces visited and studied as part of the course.
Recommended readings:
Brauneck, Manfred. Theater im 20. Jahrhundert. Reinbeck bei Hamburg: rororo, 2009.
Brook, Peter. Der leere Raum. Berlin: Alexander, 2009.
Esslin, Martin. Das Theater des Absurden, von Beckett bis Pinter. Reinbeck bei hamburg: rororo, 2006.
Grotowski, Jerzy. Für ein armes Theater. Zürich: Orell Füssli, 2000.
Klotz, Volker. Geschlossene und offene Form im Drama. München: Hanser, 1969.
Lehmann, Hans-Thies. Postdramatisches Theater. Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren, 2006
Piscator, Erwin. Zeittheater ‚Das Politische Theater’ und weitere Schriften von 1915 bis 1966. Reinbeck bei Hamburg: rororo1999.
Szondi, Peter. Theorie des modernen Dramas (1880-1959). Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 2010.
Verschiedene Aufsätze, Interviews etc. zu Theater-relevanten Themen wie z.B. Bühne, Schauspieler, Regie, Dramaturgie, neue Theaterformen und –Strömungen (jeweils aus den neuesten ‚Theater-Heute‘- Erscheinungen
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Peter Oidtmann earned a Ph.D. in Sociology and Anthropology. He is currently a higher-ranking teacher at a high school and is doing dramaturgical work and music and text selections for a new ballet at the Zurich Opera and choreographer Heinz Spoerli. He has periodically taught seminars and lectures on drama and theatre at IES Freiburg for the last 20 years.
The seminar aims to give students the opportunity to analyze drama texts and contemporary performance practices. The idea behind this is that the students should train their visual awareness, which also means that even students who have had little previous experience with the genre drama text, or with theater generally, are introduced to the goal of observing and recognizing theatrical elements, and providing a well founded critical analysis. Preoccupation with selected texts serves to prepare students for approaching performances. In addition, the particularities of this genre of drama text are explored in order to facilitate a fundamental understanding of the respective play. Texts on drama theory also provide an extended approach, as well as philosophical and historical backgrounds, foreign influences and the biography of the author.
The second focal point of this course is drama texts in relation to contemporary stage practices at that time. For this reason, the course looks into the intentions and means of modern critical theater work. Consideration of self conception of the theater, of its meaning for society, of its intentional and potential effects is, at this junction, just as necessary as the attempt to describe contemporary societal structures. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how critical theater work is capable of extracting a sense of urgency which in turn justifies the (still relatively high) subsidies it receives in Germany.
None
This seminar enables students to learn in a visual and critical way. By the end of the course, students are able to better and adequately describe and criticize what happens on stage.
Lectures and discussion, oral reports by the students
Mid-term (20%)
final exam (30%),
term paper (25%),
oral report (25%).
Precise content varies from semester to semester, depending on the current stage bill of local and regional theaters.
1. Büchner, Georg. Leonce und Lena. Berliner Ensemble, Robert Wilson (Video), Robert Wilson as an example of a modern interpretation of „old“ material, and as a comparison extracts from the performance of the Salzburg Drama Festival in 1976, Director: Jürgen Flimm (Video).
2. Tschechow, Der Kirchgarten, Staatstheater Stuttgart
3. Thomas Mann, Die Buddenbrooks, Theater Freiburg
4. Lewis Caroll, Alice im Wunderland hinter den Spiegeln, Theater im Marienbad
5. Heinrich von Kleist, Michael Kolhaas, Theater Freiburg
6. Mozart, Le nozze di figaro, Theater Basel
7. eventuell Nathan (Theaterproject nach Lessing), Theater Freiburg
8. Compact seminar. Presentations of important theories of drama and theater
9. Shakespeare, Der Sturm (mit Musik von Jean Sibelius)
10. Wallgrabentheater, Ariel Dorfmann, Der Tod und das Mädchen
11. Talking to theater-makers
12. Behind the scenes: guided tour of Freiburg theater
13. Internal workshop: producing stage scenery
14. Theater excursion to Basel, supposedly: R. Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer
15. Performing students’ own written scetches at the last day of class
Büchner, Georg. Leonce und Lena, Lustspiel. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam, 1994. Texts on current theater pieces visited and studied as part of the course.
Brauneck, Manfred. Theater im 20. Jahrhundert. Reinbeck bei Hamburg: rororo, 2009.
Brook, Peter. Der leere Raum. Berlin: Alexander, 2009.
Esslin, Martin. Das Theater des Absurden, von Beckett bis Pinter. Reinbeck bei hamburg: rororo, 2006.
Grotowski, Jerzy. Für ein armes Theater. Zürich: Orell Füssli, 2000.
Klotz, Volker. Geschlossene und offene Form im Drama. München: Hanser, 1969.
Lehmann, Hans-Thies. Postdramatisches Theater. Frankfurt am Main: Verlag der Autoren, 2006
Piscator, Erwin. Zeittheater ‚Das Politische Theater’ und weitere Schriften von 1915 bis 1966. Reinbeck bei Hamburg: rororo1999.
Stegmann, Bernd. Lektionen 1: Dramaturgie. Berlin, 2009. Stegmann, Bernd. Lektionen 2: Regie. Berlin, 2009.
Szondi, Peter. Theorie des modernen Dramas (1880-1959). Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 2010.
Verschiedene Aufsätze, Interviews etc. zu Theater-relevanten Themen wie z.B. Bühne, Schauspieler, Regie, Dramaturgie, neue Theaterformen und –Strömungen (jeweils aus den neuesten ‚Theater-Heute‘- Erscheinungen
Peter Oidtmann earned a Ph.D. in Sociology and Anthropology. He is currently a higher-ranking teacher at a high school and is doing dramaturgical work and music and text selections for a new ballet at the Zurich Opera and choreographer Heinz Spoerli. He has periodically taught seminars and lectures on drama and theatre at IES Freiburg for the last 20 years.