(Fall 2023) Drama and the Human Spirit for High School with Kevin O'Brien

 

How to get the most out of Drama and the Human Spirit with Kevin O'Brien:

  • First, read the course details below.
  • Prepare a notebook for note taking and homework.
  • Students begin the course by clicking on the "Recording" and watching the instructor's lecture for Class One.
  • Complete any Week One Activities.
  • If you need review, go back and watch the recording again and/or go over the PowerPoint.
  • Repeat until all classes are complete. Parents can grade any essay questions, or they may purchase Instructor Access for Kevin O'Brien to grade the essay questions.
  • Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records. Homeschool Connections does not provide record keeping.

 

Total Classes: 13

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested High School Credit: 1 full semester Literature or English

 

Instructor: Kevin O’Brien

 

Course Description: This is the High School version of our popular class for Middle School Students.  From its beginning in ancient Greece and from its inception in England in the context of the liturgy, drama has always been about man's relation to God (or "the gods"). This survey course will examine some of the great works of drama and comedy, focusing on how dramatic art grapples with the question of the meaning of life and the revelation of God in the human heart.  

 

Course Outline:

  1. Ancient Greek Drama
  2. Classical Roman Drama
  3. Early Medieval Drama - Mystery, Miracle and Morality Plays
  4. Shakespeare - Tragedy - Macbeth
  5. Shakespeare - Comedy - Much Ado about Nothing
  6. Moliere - The Forced Marriage
  7. Commedia del Arte
  8. Restoration Drama
  9. Melodramas of the Early 19th Century
  10. Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
  11. George Bernard Shaw vs. G. K. Chesterton
  12. Theater of the Absurd
  13. American Theater and Course Review

 

Course Materials: All materials will be provided as PDFs by the instructor.

 

Homework: Tests, Reading, Midterm, and Final exams. Expect about three hours of homework per week.