Course description
Global Shakespeares: Re-creating the Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare is the most performed playwright on the globe; this course brings his play The Merchant of Venice into the 21st century by comparing multiple recent performances, from film and television stagings to an international production that marked the first performance of the play in the former Jewish Ghetto of Venice, Italy. Students will:
- Learn how to read and perform Shakespeare
- Investigate the historical and contemporary context of Shakespeare’s works, including why and how they continue to be read and performed
- Gain insight from Shakespeare scholars, historians, theater professionals, and actors
- Produce and Perform selected scenes using the knowledge and techniques they have learned
This course provides a rare opportunity to see how artists and performers today grapple with a play that is dramatically challenging in its mixture of comic and tragic elements, as well as its portrayal of gender relations and ethnic and religious prejudice. Along the way, Students will learn to read and understand Shakespeare with the help of recorded vignettes on historical and theatrical context by scholars and theater professionals, as well as performance tutorials and reflections delivered by the actors themselves.
Upcoming start dates
Who should attend?
Prerequisites
None
Training content
- Part 1: Reading Drama and Poetry
- Part 2: The Merchant of Venice and Close Reading
- Part 3: Production Choices and The Merchant of Venice
- Part 4: Designing Your Own Productions
- Part 5: Preparing for Live Performance
Course delivery details
This course is offered through Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a partner institute of EdX.
3-4 hours per week
Costs
- Verified Track -$49
- Audit Track - Free
Certification / Credits
What you'll learn
- Acquire clearer understanding of your own creativity and self-analysis
- Read challenging material and express your thoughts in oral and written communication
- Increase your consciousness of ethical, historical, political and artistic issues in what you read, hear and see
- Encourage your understanding of Shakespeare, especially as an occasion for communication across personal, historical, and cultural boundaries
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edX
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