This course analyzes plays and productions from the late nineteenth century to the end of the twentieth century primarily in Europe, England, and the United States. Starting with the flourishing of realism and naturalism, we will trace the rapid evolution of dramatic form and its relationship to new approaches to acting, directing, and theatrical design. We will examine the interdependency of theatre and the other arts and media as well as drama’s contributions to and invention of artistic movements. Playwrights considered may include Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, Gertrude Stein, Bertolt Brecht, Tennessee Williams, Caryl Churchill, and Suzan-Lori Parks.