LIB445
A Funny Thing Happened: A History of Western Theatrical Comedy
Comedy has held the stage from the beginnings of theatre in sixth-century B.C.E. Athens. What is the unique appeal of comedy? Does comedy serve a social purpose in spite of its inevitable "happy endings?" We'll trace the development of Western theatrical comedy tradition, from the raucous "Old Comedy" of the ancient Greeks and the romantic "New Comedy" of the ancient Romans; through Shakespeare, Molière, Wilde, and Gilbert and Sullivan; to the antics of the Marx Brothers. We'll explore how plots recur throughout the ages, as do comic characters, themes and language, and answer the question of the human need for laughter.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Fri, May 10, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 17, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 24, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 31, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Jun 7, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Jun 14, 1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Course outline
- Week 1
There are two basic types of comedy: manic Greek “Old Comedy” (Lysistrata) and romantic Roman “New Comedy.” We will consider both types, with examples drawn from all times, in drama and opera. - Week 2
We’ll consider the “reawakening” of English comedy in the Irish tradition of “mumming” and then some comic moments from medieval “play-cycles.” Then we move to two of the earliest comedies of Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew. - Week 3
The background of the European Renaissance and a brief biography of Shakespeare. We’ll dive into Shakespeare’s best-known comedies, all modelled after Roman “New Comedy” patterns: Twelfth Night, As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing. - Week 4
We move to 17th-century France to study two comedies by the great dramatist Molière: The Miser and Tartuffe. We’ll then turn to the work of the writer Voltaire, with a Leonard Bernstein operatic adaptation of the comic novelette Candide. - Week 5
Eighteenth-century England gave us the hilarious “Restoration comedies.” We’ll glimpse at William Wycherley’s delightful The Country Wife and the famous She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. Then we’ll shift to the 19th century for a close look at Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. - Week 6
We’ll examine the genius of Gilbert and Sullivan and their first hit, H.M.S. Pinafore. We’ll wrap up with comedy in the 20th century: the physical comedy of Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, and the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. We finish with La Cage Aux Folles.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Trace the history of Western theatrical comedy, to see the repeating patterns in plot, characters and themes from the ancient world to the present
- Recognize our need for stories with “happy endings,” as part of our natural inclination towards optimism for the future
- Appreciate the critical power of comedy to critique social values and expose hypocrisy
- Understand the essential differences between the two main types of comedy
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents