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Topic 8: American Drama

This topic explores American Drama from Eugene O'Neill to David Mamet. It covers the forms and conventions, the dramatic styles and techniques and the social context of the plays. Study includes the ways in which the plays extend realism through the use of Expressionist and Symbolist techniques and ways in which they might be produced on the contemporary stage.

Students must study TWO of the following:

Mamet, David, Speed-the-Plow, Methuen, London, 1989.

O'Neill, Eugene, 'Desire Under the Elms', in Desire Under the Elms and The Great God Brown, Royal National Theatre and Nick Hern Books, 1995.

Wilder, Thornton, ‘Our Town’, in Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Matchmaker, New York Perennial Classics Harper and Row, 1998

Williams, Tennessee, A Street Car Named Desire, Heinemann, 1995.