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.

I absolutely loved taking Theater 106 with Professor Oswald and TA Elizabeth Schiffler, it has helped me grow so much as a theater artist. The class focuses heavily on alternative structures of theater from the 20th century into today and thus features multiple plays that are obscure and under discussed. Professor Oswald focuses closely on the aesthetic and structural choices artists make and the rationale behind these decisions. Since he's a playwright himself, Professor Oswald often focuses on the perspective of the playwright and the artistic philosophies that inform each writer's work. He brings in some fantastic guest lecturers from inside and outside of the UCLA Theater department to provide expert insight on American theater.

As a theater major, I felt that this class contributed immensely to my fundamental knowledge of theater and expanded on many topics I first learned about in Theater 101B (major requirement class). The class is definitely friendly to all majors, and the discussion posts are quite fun and simple. The open-book, open-note midterm and final were somewhat writing-intensive, but they were not difficult to prepare for as long as you took close notes on the lectures and read the plays. I also really liked the asynchronous format of the class and found the synchronous Backstage Sessions to be helpful (and great for receiving extra credit)!

Theater 106 is so fascinating because it also discusses many adjacent forms to what we traditionally consider theater, such as opera and performance art. Professor Oswald sneaks in multiple connections to art history that appeal to fans of visual art. Filmmakers and fans of cinema might be interested too in the sequence about Method acting, which includes clips of Al Pacino.

Overall, this class was one of my favorites I've taken at UCLA! I recommend taking this class if any of the following topics sound interesting to you: Melodrama, Avant-Garde Theater, Black Arts Movement, Chicano Theater, Native American Theater, Queer Theater. I also suggest taking Theater 110 over the summer if you're interested in learning about musical theater history!