Crash Course
Race Melodrama and Minstrel Shows: Crash Course Theater #30
Does theater really influence society? In the nineteenth century, drama displays that depicted the treatment of different races actually contributed to the spread of racism. Scholars view images from such plays to gain a better...
Crash Course
The Horrors of the Grand Guignol: Crash Course Theater #35
Fight or flight? Could a play be so scary that it makes the audience want to run from the theater? Andre de Lorde actually had the dream of writing such a play. Scholars learn of him and other French playwrights that focused on the...
Crash Course
Get Outside and Have a (Mystery) Play: Crash Course Theater #10
In the Middle Ages, theater left the church of moved outside to a secular stage. An interesting video describes the transition from pulpit to public venue, discussing common plot lines and other aspects of medieval drama. Animated...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "Waiting for Godot"?
Sometimes life feels like a tragic comedy. A video about the play Waiting for Godot describes the play as a tragic comedy. Viewers see a summary of the famous drama and its history before answering multiple-choice and open-ended...
PBS
Louisa May Alcott | The Civil War
Louisa May Alcott longed to fight in the Civil War to end the scourge of slavery, but like most nineteenth-century women, was relegated to the ranks of wartime nurses and seamstresses. Learners watch a short dramatization of Alcott's...
British Council
The Tempest 2: Greed, Wrath and Lust
A magician strands a group of people on a deserted island and The Tempest begins. A video introduces English learners to Shakespeare's dramatic—and final—play. After listening to a summary of the plot and analysis of one of the...
Crash Course
Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson: Crash Course Theater #15
Who doesn't love a play where most of the characters die? Such deaths are a defining characteristic of many of Shakespeare's tragedies, the topic of an informational video on the Bard and his works. Along with outlining the plot elements...
British Council
Much Ado 2: Fun to Play
Audiences around the world love Shakespeare. A video and set of accompanying tasks, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses how audiences in Japan react to Shakespearean plays. The exercises after the video help check...
British Council
Much Ado 1: A Beautiful Trick
Two people hate one another, and then fall in love. The common romantic movie formula first appeared in the play Much Ado About Nothing. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video uses the popular play to help teach...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 2: Unchecked Ambition
Can unchecked ambition, as is the case in MacBeth, have disastrous consequences? A video and accompanying activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the topic while also teaching key English skills. The...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 1: Top Dog
Who wears the pants in the Macbeth family? Many would argue it's not the Thane of Cawdor, but his wife, Lady Macbeth. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and connected lessons discuss the power and influence...
British Council
Juliet 2: Feisty, Funny and Determined
One of the reasons Romeo and Juliet remains popular over time is the fact that teenagers relate to the main characters. A lesson, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the character of Juliet. While watching the...
British Council
Juliet 1: Falling in Love
Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet has many lessons to teach youth today. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and set of activities help English learners connect with the popular play....
British Council
Hamlet 2: A Bad Death
Hamlet's experience with his father's death rings true for those who have experienced the death of their own fathers. A video and set of activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, provides a unique perspective on...
British Council
Hamlet 1: His Father's Ghost
The lessons in Shakespeare's Hamlet transcend language and culture. An actor describes his view of the play in a short video accompanied by tasks, part of the Shakespeare English exercises series. While listening to the video,...
PBS
When the Book is Better than the Movie
Sometimes the book is better than the movie; other times, the movie comes out on top. A video discusses the topic of novels and their film adaptations, pointing out specific texts and how the tale translated to the big screen. The...
Crash Course
Dances to Flute Music and Obscene Verse. It's Roman Theater, Everybody: Crash Course Theater #5
Believe it or not, ancient Romans had a sense of humor—although it may have been a bit absurd. The fifth video in the Crash Course Theater series discusses the evolution of Roman drama, incorporating images and animations to help bring...
Crash Course
Thespis, Athens, and The Origins of Greek Drama: Crash Course Theater #2
Unless you're singing about a lonely goatherd in the Sound of Music, goats have little to do with theater, and yet the word tragedy comes from the Greek words for goat and song. A video about Greek drama, the second video in the Crash...
Crash Course
What is Theater? Crash Course Theater #1
For thousands of years, the dramatic arts played an important role in civilization. The first episode of Crash Course Theater, a high-quality video series, defines and gives a brief overview of the topic. From explaining the difference...
Lit2Go
Romeo and Juliet
"Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" The classic play by Shakespeare goes digital through a version that contains audio and PDF versions of the text. Additionally, each act and scene displays the Flesch-Kincaid readability level...
Crash Course
Roman Theater with Plautus, Terence, and Seneca: Crash Course Theater #6
Thank you, Greek and Roman theater, for providing the dramatic arts with a host of stock characters. A video about Roman theater, the sixth in the Crash Course Theater series, begins by introducing the character types found on stage in...
Crash Course
Greek Comedy, Satyrs, and Aristophanes: Crash Course Theater #4
What better way to tell a story than with actors dressed like horses? Information about satyr plays and other aspects of Greek comedy makes up the fourth video in the Crash Course Theater series. The discussion includes references to...
Crash Course
Tragedy Lessons from Aristotle: Crash Course Theater #3
Guts! Gore! Murder! Human flaws! Aristotle considered all elements of a tragedy. Crash Course Theater's third video covers the Greek philosopher's views on the art form and also explains alternating perspectives on the topic. Engaging...
British Library
British Library: Poetry & Performance: Sylvia Plath
Audio recordings of select poems by American poet Sylvia Plath. With transcripts of the poems read, a biographical note about the writer's life and career, literary analysis of her work, and teacher's notes.