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<\/figure>Trigger Warnings!\nSuicide, Lies, Prostitution & Murder In Late 19th C. Theatre<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIn late 19th century the genre of naturalism emerged in Europe out of an atmosphere of political, cultural and social turmoil. With graphic plots, settings and explicit themes, playwrights sought to depict contemporary circumstances on the stage. Through reading, viewing and discussion, we will examine texts by Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw, August Strindberg and Emile Zola to see if we still recognize our 2023 \u201cselves\u201d in these seminal works.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_0038.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\nAngels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nA close-reading and discussion of Tony Kushner\u2019s monumental, subversive and remarkable masterwork. One of the late-20th-century\u2019s most important pieces of dramatic literature, this funny, searching play about sex, power and religion is a radical rethinking of the American political drama. Through the use of \u201cmagical realism\u201d Kushner examines both cosmic and human obsessions in the American consciousness. This seminar-style class will examine both\u00a0Millennium Approaches<\/em> and Perestroika<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sondheim.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\nStephen Sondheim & the Reinvention of the American Musical<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nStarting with \u201cCompany\u201d (1970) through \u201cPassion\u201d (1994) Sondheim\u2019s ability as both a composer and a lyricist have led to remarkable changes in the crafting of the American musical. This three-session course looks in depth at three groundbreaking shows: \u201cSweeney Todd\u201d (1979), \u201cSunday in the Park with George\u201d (1984) and \u201cInto the Woods\u201d (1986) through a socio-cultural lens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Tevye-Course-Facebook-copy-1024x538.png\")
<\/figure>\nSunrise, Sunset: The Americanization of Jewish Culture<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFrom the roots of the Jewish diaspora, to the emergence of the Yiddish language in the early Middle Ages, the themes of suffering and survival have been associated with Judaism. Though an examination of Alechim’s book “Tevye, the Dairyman” published in 1894, we trace how his stories, adapted into the classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof, set the stage for the thematic universality of a myriad of world cultures.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/3360_wide-a343b0b19219c2a972f1d5e0dab77f689336449b_-_h_2017-1024x577.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nExploring Gender and Sexual Identity Through Musical Theatre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAn examination of three seminal works of theatre: Cabaret<\/em> (1966), Hedwig & the Angry Inch<\/em> (1998) and Fun Home<\/em> (2006) explored through both a socio-cultural and socio-political lens, that departed from traditional structure by introducing innovations in the craft of libretto, music & lyrics. Each work examines the sexual lives of its principal characters using the conventions of musical theatre to edify, educate and entertain. Methodology includes reading and streaming content in advance of each class.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kitsakos-1024x745.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nRising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stephenkitsakos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/20west-side-review-1-mobileMasterAt3x-1024x697.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nA close-reading and discussion of Tony Kushner\u2019s monumental, subversive and remarkable masterwork. One of the late-20th-century\u2019s most important pieces of dramatic literature, this funny, searching play about sex, power and religion is a radical rethinking of the American political drama. Through the use of \u201cmagical realism\u201d Kushner examines both cosmic and human obsessions in the American consciousness. This seminar-style class will examine both\u00a0Millennium Approaches<\/em> and Perestroika<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\nStephen Sondheim & the Reinvention of the American Musical<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nStarting with \u201cCompany\u201d (1970) through \u201cPassion\u201d (1994) Sondheim\u2019s ability as both a composer and a lyricist have led to remarkable changes in the crafting of the American musical. This three-session course looks in depth at three groundbreaking shows: \u201cSweeney Todd\u201d (1979), \u201cSunday in the Park with George\u201d (1984) and \u201cInto the Woods\u201d (1986) through a socio-cultural lens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nSunrise, Sunset: The Americanization of Jewish Culture<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFrom the roots of the Jewish diaspora, to the emergence of the Yiddish language in the early Middle Ages, the themes of suffering and survival have been associated with Judaism. Though an examination of Alechim’s book “Tevye, the Dairyman” published in 1894, we trace how his stories, adapted into the classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof, set the stage for the thematic universality of a myriad of world cultures.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nExploring Gender and Sexual Identity Through Musical Theatre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAn examination of three seminal works of theatre: Cabaret<\/em> (1966), Hedwig & the Angry Inch<\/em> (1998) and Fun Home<\/em> (2006) explored through both a socio-cultural and socio-political lens, that departed from traditional structure by introducing innovations in the craft of libretto, music & lyrics. Each work examines the sexual lives of its principal characters using the conventions of musical theatre to edify, educate and entertain. Methodology includes reading and streaming content in advance of each class.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\nRising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>Stephen Sondheim & the Reinvention of the American Musical<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nStarting with \u201cCompany\u201d (1970) through \u201cPassion\u201d (1994) Sondheim\u2019s ability as both a composer and a lyricist have led to remarkable changes in the crafting of the American musical. This three-session course looks in depth at three groundbreaking shows: \u201cSweeney Todd\u201d (1979), \u201cSunday in the Park with George\u201d (1984) and \u201cInto the Woods\u201d (1986) through a socio-cultural lens.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nSunrise, Sunset: The Americanization of Jewish Culture<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFrom the roots of the Jewish diaspora, to the emergence of the Yiddish language in the early Middle Ages, the themes of suffering and survival have been associated with Judaism. Though an examination of Alechim’s book “Tevye, the Dairyman” published in 1894, we trace how his stories, adapted into the classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof, set the stage for the thematic universality of a myriad of world cultures.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nExploring Gender and Sexual Identity Through Musical Theatre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAn examination of three seminal works of theatre: Cabaret<\/em> (1966), Hedwig & the Angry Inch<\/em> (1998) and Fun Home<\/em> (2006) explored through both a socio-cultural and socio-political lens, that departed from traditional structure by introducing innovations in the craft of libretto, music & lyrics. Each work examines the sexual lives of its principal characters using the conventions of musical theatre to edify, educate and entertain. Methodology includes reading and streaming content in advance of each class.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\nRising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>Sunrise, Sunset: The Americanization of Jewish Culture<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nFrom the roots of the Jewish diaspora, to the emergence of the Yiddish language in the early Middle Ages, the themes of suffering and survival have been associated with Judaism. Though an examination of Alechim’s book “Tevye, the Dairyman” published in 1894, we trace how his stories, adapted into the classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof, set the stage for the thematic universality of a myriad of world cultures.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nExploring Gender and Sexual Identity Through Musical Theatre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAn examination of three seminal works of theatre: Cabaret<\/em> (1966), Hedwig & the Angry Inch<\/em> (1998) and Fun Home<\/em> (2006) explored through both a socio-cultural and socio-political lens, that departed from traditional structure by introducing innovations in the craft of libretto, music & lyrics. Each work examines the sexual lives of its principal characters using the conventions of musical theatre to edify, educate and entertain. Methodology includes reading and streaming content in advance of each class.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\nRising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>Exploring Gender and Sexual Identity Through Musical Theatre<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nAn examination of three seminal works of theatre: Cabaret<\/em> (1966), Hedwig & the Angry Inch<\/em> (1998) and Fun Home<\/em> (2006) explored through both a socio-cultural and socio-political lens, that departed from traditional structure by introducing innovations in the craft of libretto, music & lyrics. Each work examines the sexual lives of its principal characters using the conventions of musical theatre to edify, educate and entertain. Methodology includes reading and streaming content in advance of each class.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\nRising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>Rising from the Wine Dark Sea: Greek Tragedy for the 21st Century<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nDelve into the timeless relevance of Greek tragedy by reading, interpreting and re-contextualizing five plays by Euripides, Aeschylus & Sophocles.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nWest Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
<\/figure>West Side Story<\/em>: A Cultural Perspective on an American Tragedy<\/strong><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\nIs it racism that precipitated the tragedy in West Side Story<\/em> and not just miscommunication as in Shakespeare\u2019s Romeo & Juliet<\/em>? How does the marginalization of outsiders keep repeating itself in the story of America? How did four gay men: Bernstein, Sondheim, Laurents & Robbins create a musical which captures the universality of the immigrant experience and provide the basis for racial conflict in mid-20th century urban life? We look at the journey from \u201cEast Side Story\u201d <\/em>to \u201cWest Side Story\u201d <\/em>through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens to examine how the universals from Shakespeare in 1597 are still admissible in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n
I teach cultural studies classes throughout the year at The Studios of Key West. Each course runs three or four consecutive weeks, designed to be 90 minutes with pre-assigned reading and viewing of video clips or films. My course subject matter often deals with groups who have been considered to be outside the \u201cmainstream.\u201d The methodology is lecture, […]<\/p>\n