PMA 1165

FWS: Fourth Walls: Barriers, Boundaries, and Borders in Performance

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2021-2022.

Recently, walls and other boundaries have played critical rolls in the symbols and substance of social and political movements—Black Lives Matter protesters confronting rows of police shields, the violation of bodily autonomy at the heart of the #MeToo movement, and chants of "build the wall" at right-wing political rallies—are but a few examples. Walls, or the lack thereof, are also an important feature and symbol in theatrical production. The "fourth wall" in theatre—referring to the imaginary boundary between actors and audience—is most noteworthy for its absence. Together, over the span of the semester, we will explore the use of walls and other barriers, both physical and figurative, in plays and performance. Through careful reading of scripts, attentive viewing of live and mediated performances, active discussion, and critically engaged writing, we will consider how theatre uses walls to highlight, question, and perhaps even disrupt regional, cultural, political, and social division.

When Offered Fall.

Satisfies Requirement First-Year Writing Seminar.

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