THEATER 106
History of American Theater and Drama
Description: Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Survey of key works of American dramatic literature and landmarks of American theater history. Letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - I cannot recommend this class enough! The class was asynchronous but there were 4 extra credit live sessions mixed throughout the quarter. The lectures were genuinely fun to watch and really engaging. There were also a few guest lecturers who added new perspectives to the course based on the topic/theme of the plays that week. Each week we had to do a quiz based on that week's lectures, a discussion board, and two replies. Some of the plays we had to read were a bit longer than others so I would recommend starting on the work earlier in the week if you can. There was also a Midterm and Final which tested your understanding of the connections between the various plays you read. The exams were more difficult than the quizzes but were doable. The exams were open note so the best thing to do is to take solid notes when you watch the lectures the first time. Overall, I really loved the class and would recommend anyone take it, even if you aren't a theater buff.
Fall 2020 - I cannot recommend this class enough! The class was asynchronous but there were 4 extra credit live sessions mixed throughout the quarter. The lectures were genuinely fun to watch and really engaging. There were also a few guest lecturers who added new perspectives to the course based on the topic/theme of the plays that week. Each week we had to do a quiz based on that week's lectures, a discussion board, and two replies. Some of the plays we had to read were a bit longer than others so I would recommend starting on the work earlier in the week if you can. There was also a Midterm and Final which tested your understanding of the connections between the various plays you read. The exams were more difficult than the quizzes but were doable. The exams were open note so the best thing to do is to take solid notes when you watch the lectures the first time. Overall, I really loved the class and would recommend anyone take it, even if you aren't a theater buff.
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Most Helpful Review
Professor Robinson's History of American Drama was the best class I took last quarter - interesting, relevant, thoroughly researched and well presented. The four hours per week contact time always passed quickly, with lectures always being vibrant, easily absorbed, and varied- in-class performance was strongly encouraged, we had several guest speakers, and we also took a couple of well wothwhile outside visits to dance and puppet theaters. Professor Robinson is a great lecturer because she is so interested in what she does - she has an amazing wealth of knowledge on her subject, and she wants her students to be as excited about it as she is - by the end of her course, you will be. There is quite a lot of reading for 106, usually two or three plays a week, but if you have even a passing interest in theater you will find them valuable and generally pretty easy. My only reservation is that her papers are very much based upon lecture - if you miss even one class, you'll be screwed, as many of the questions on her exams are based upon her personal comments, and are not things you will find in any textbook. But take Robinson, because she's fantastic, and you probably won't ever want to miss her class anyway.
Professor Robinson's History of American Drama was the best class I took last quarter - interesting, relevant, thoroughly researched and well presented. The four hours per week contact time always passed quickly, with lectures always being vibrant, easily absorbed, and varied- in-class performance was strongly encouraged, we had several guest speakers, and we also took a couple of well wothwhile outside visits to dance and puppet theaters. Professor Robinson is a great lecturer because she is so interested in what she does - she has an amazing wealth of knowledge on her subject, and she wants her students to be as excited about it as she is - by the end of her course, you will be. There is quite a lot of reading for 106, usually two or three plays a week, but if you have even a passing interest in theater you will find them valuable and generally pretty easy. My only reservation is that her papers are very much based upon lecture - if you miss even one class, you'll be screwed, as many of the questions on her exams are based upon her personal comments, and are not things you will find in any textbook. But take Robinson, because she's fantastic, and you probably won't ever want to miss her class anyway.
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