The Irish theatre movement of the 20th century was one of the most prominent of its kind. It was also a significant part of a general Irish literary and cultural revival and part of a nationalist movement that ultimately led to independence from Britain and the creation of a new nation-state.
We will examine selected works by John M. Synge, Sean O’Casey, and Denis Johnston, covering developments from the beginning of the century into the 1950s. We will discuss their plays in the context of the history of the theatre movement, involving both the Abbey and the Dublin Gate theatres, as well as the social and political circumstances of the time.
Much of each class will begin with listening to recordings of some of the plays, followed by comment and discussion. You will read the plays prior to the class in which we will discuss them.