The American Theater has a spirit all its own! Students will learn about the History of American theater in the Fall Semester and the History of American Musicals in the Spring Semester. The survey will cover the years 1752 to today. Each week, a different play by an American author will be read (as homework) and discussed (in class). Students will have a chance to read aloud and play parts in scenes from each play during the live class sessions. The context of American Theater in the larger history of Drama will be explored, as will the thrills of Broadway, Vaudeville, Tent Shows and Showboats. Each play will be analyzed in regard to its characters, plot, settings and themes, and typically American recurrent themes will be noted. In addition, the development of American Musicals on stage and screen will be studied, focusing on the relation of American Musicals to other genres of music, inlcuding opera, show hall, pop, rock and rap.