Women Wrote, Too: The Lesser Known Playwrights of Early British Theatre
In this 8-week online course, students will learn about the experiences of woman-identified writers while studying 3 major plays by such women. This class is set up to mimic a high school/upper grades elective course in English & Theatre.
Jessie McKeon
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(55)
What's included
16 live meetings
12 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Reading will be assigned - Approximately 40 pages per week (may vary on different devices or volumes).Assessment
Learners will be graded on response in-class and will have a final, comprehensive individual project worth 25% of their grade. This is a "pass/fail" class with written assessment except where a letter grade is requested for homeschool and supplemental school transcripts. I will do my best to accommodate the various needs that different educational entities require.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
This is a reading and conversational class that will study 4 major plays outside of Shakespeare's canon: "The Tragedy of Mariam" by Elizabeth Cary "The Convent of Pleasure" by Margaret Cavendish "The Rover" by Aphra Behn Not only will we read and analyze these plays, but each class will include a discussion of how these plays impacted and were influenced by the time period in which they were written as well as the gender roles of the society in which they lived. We will examine each play from a contemporary standpoint and from a modern aspect, questioning the intentions of the playwright and wondering how these specific shows would play to a modern audience. There is no requirement to be familiar with any of these writers! We will have open discourse about these shows, read them aloud, and watch some professional interpretations of pivotal scenes. The class culminates with an independent project around a topic proposed by the student. Week 1 - Introduction to Early British Drama and the relationship of women to the stage; Introduction to Eizabeth Cary; begin "The Tragedy of Miriam" Week 2 - Continue "The Tragedy of Mariam;" discuss gender roles in Elizabethan society Week 3 - Conclude "The Tragedy of Mariam;" introduction to project; introduction to Margaret Cavendish; begin "The Convent of Pleasure" Week 4 - Continue "The Convent of Pleasure;" discuss progress of women in theatre Week 5 - Conclude "The Convent of Pleasure;" project proposals; introduction to Aphra Behn, Begin "The Rover" Week 6 - Continue "The Rover;" project check-in; discuss influence of women on design and forward movement in theatre Week 7 - Conclude "The Rover;" discuss through-lines and modern echoes of the work of these women; final project check-in Week 8 - Project presentations and completion certificates given Example class covenant: -We welcome and affirm learners of all abilities and all walks of life. -We understand that our differences in opinion and learning style can lead to more dynamic learning. -We will not tolerate hate speech, bullying, and other negative behavior toward each other. -We will follow the classroom guidelines for Outschool that are there to keep us safe and geared toward learning. -We will manage risk so that our class can be fun, safe, and fascinating!
Learning Goals
Students will learn basics of play analysis while studying plays, historical context of Elizabethan and Renaissance theatre, the relationship of gender, gender presentation, and Early British Theatre, and self-paced, independent project work
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This class is for teens only - some of the material can be considered PG-13 due to the sense of humor, acknowledgement of human's lustful nature, and ignorance of medicine and travel at the time these plays were written. There are overtones of gender roles and gender-specific superstitions and myths; we will address these in the class through a lens of inclusion and diversity. By identifying this and addressing this in an anti-misogynist manner, we can analyze the time period in which the play is set, the attitudes in theatre when the play was written, and ways to address this in our own analysis of the play. The instructor is well-versed in gender inclusive activism, is active in the Pledge to End Racism, and is a certified facilitator. She will open the floor to discussion.
Play Summaries:
"The Tragedy of Mariam" is the tale of the death of Mariam, the second wife of Herod the Great, the King of Palestine from 39-4 BC. As the play opens, friends and family discuss the news of Herod’s death. Seizing the opportunity, each engages in love affairs and "bad behavior" knowing Herod would disapprove. Most importantly, Mariam admits she never loved Herod despite his passionate feelings for her. To the surprise of the characters, Herod is well and alive and returns to reunite with his wife. Herod’s sister, Salome, plots to get rid of Mariam by spreading lies of her unfaithfulness, bringing about a chain of events that leads to Mariam's death. (This play was the basis for Shakespeare’s “Othello.”)
"The Convent of Pleasure" takes place after the death of Lord Fortunate. Lady Happy—being his only heir—inherits her father’s wealth and decides to forsake marriage, invite twenty ladies to her estate, and create a cloistered community called the Convent of Pleasure where the presence of men is banned. The gentlemen intent on wooing Lady Happy lament at the loss of Lord Fortunate’s wealth and a woman who is “extremely handsome, young, rich, and virtuous,” but the only virtue they see in Lady Happy is her wealth. They plot to infiltrate the convent, but achieve little success. Meanwhile, a princess has joined the convent. The princess and Lady Happy quickly fall in love, and the ladies of the convent perform a play about the perils of marriage. At the end of the play-within-a-play, it is revealed that the princess was, all along, a prince, and he and Lady Happy marry. (This play was inspired by works such as “Twelfth Night” by Shakespeare and “Volpone” by Ben Johnson)
Set during Carnival, "The Rover" tells of the adventures in Naples of Willmore and his banished friends, Blunt, Frederick, and Belvile. While the title refers to Willmore, who is The Rover, the plot is driven heavily by Hellena and Florinda, two sisters trapped in “engagements” against their will: Hellena to the convent and Florinda to Don Antonio. Respectively, they decide to pursue Willmore and Blunt, but things go awry when Willmore has an affair with Angellica, an aging mistress, and Blunt attempts to take Florinda against her will. However, through wit and masquerade, Florinda marries Belvile, and Hellena and Willmore commit to marry each other. (Thought by many scholars to be the foil of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”)
Supply List
Copies of each of the plays. While free copies may be available online, they were scanned from unreliable sources. The books are all available on Amazon for less than $10 each. Please contact the instructor of this is not within your price range - something can be worked out for you.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined September, 2019
4.9
55reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I hold a BA in Performing and Visual Arts with a focus in Early British Drama and Shakespeare and have won several awards for my work in this field. I have spent over 20 years studying and producing professional and amateur theatre. I teach the Folger Method for learning the classics and am a member of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
In my classes we use video, guests, and unconventional tools to learn the topic together. I design all of my instruction around first creating a safe space, then doing what I call a "Sweep the Corners" review at the start of each session. At the completion of the course, we always Pack Up our learning and set off into our vast world!Reviews
Live Group Class
$176
for 16 classes2x per week, 8 weeks
45 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 15-18
2-8 learners per class
