Introduction to Drama
Drama is studied here as both literary art and live performance, from ancient ritual to modern theater. This MIT OpenCourseWare course examines a sampling of plays chosen to represent different kinds of dramatic structure, covering forms from classical tragedy through more experimental modern work. Students read and discuss scripts, then extend that analysis by attending live performances and writing reviews of them, connecting page to stage. The materials include a syllabus, reading list, and assignment prompts drawn from MIT's undergraduate literature curriculum. The course treats drama as a social act as well as an aesthetic one, asking how performance has historically united audiences or unsettled them. No enrollment fee applies, and materials are available under MIT's open license for self-study, though there is no instructor feedback or certificate outside the original classroom setting.