Performing Arts   

Welcome to the fun-filled world of the ukulele. Whether an absolute beginner or someone looking to refresh old skills, we will be immersed in learning the instrument, how to tune and care for it, picking up a few chords and playing some tunes. Materials: Ukulele; if you do not have your own, contact the instructor for information about weekly rentals.

Our favorite songs shine like jewels in the treasure chests of our memories. Long after much of what we have read or heard fades away, the lyrics to our favorite songs retain their pleasure, poignancy and power. In this highly participatory course, we will explore the artistry of especially well-written song lyrics, treating them as the works of art they are. Each participant will present several favorite songs for class discussion.

We will examine the body of work of the Grateful Dead from 1970 to 1977 and the subculture that the band spawned. We will listen to studio recordings and live concerts via different forms of media (vinyl, cassette tape and streaming) and discuss their music in the context of events of the times. Note: This course is suitable for longtime fans of the band or newcomers to their music.

We will explore the tension between fate and free will in Sophocles’ three Theban plays, written in the 5th century BCE. Implicit in these questions are issues of justice, responsibility and personal accountability. To what extent are we guilty of an unavoidable crime? Does fate cement our guilt or negate it? Readings will include both ancient and modern sources translated into English. Required textbook: The Three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles, tr. Robert Fagles (2000), ISBN: 978-0140444254.

The early film noirs of Germany’s Weimar Republic occupy a special place in motion-picture and social history. Of these, The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg, 1930) is perhaps the best known, starring Marlene Dietrich in her first and most famous role; it was the first film to include live dialogue. Yet lesser-known films also deserve recognition and viewing. We will survey the film industry and sociopolitical aspects of filmmaking during the Weimar Republic, then view and discuss films such as Warning Shadows (Arthur Robison, 1923) and Pandora’s Box (Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1929). Note: Films will be shown in German with English subtitles.

With a plot that includes vaulting ambition, conspiracy, murder, witches, a ghost, overwhelming guilt, insanity and retribution, the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) has fascinated readers and electrified audiences for more than 400 years. Each week we will read one act of the play outside of class then, in class, discuss key scenes and watch video clips from stage and screen productions that demonstrate a wide variety of interpretations. Required textbook: Macbeth by William Shakespeare (2013), ISBN: 978-1451694727.

In Greek mythology, King Agamemnon of Mycenae sacrifices his daughter to win the Trojan War, setting off a chain reaction of blood vengeance that ends with a jury trial. When Aeschylus wrote The Oresteia in 458 BCE, Athens was on the verge of civil war; Aeschylus used the play to confront key issues of governance—aristocracy, authoritarianism and democracy—indirectly. Euripides' later play Iphegenia at Aulis goes directly to the scene of the crime where Agamemnon wrestles with his fateful decision, but mob rule decides for him. We will examine how these two Greek tragedies explored difficult social and political times, acted as a form of political discourse and influenced contemporary governments and justice systems. Required textbooks: The Oresteia by Aeschylus, tr. Robert Fagles (1984), ISBN: 978-0140443332; and Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides, tr. Holly Eckhardt and John Harrison (2012), ISBN: 978-1107601161.