Crash Course
Tragedy Lessons from Aristotle: Crash Course Theater #3
Aristotle. He knows a lot, right? And if you choose to believe Aristotle, then you must believe all the mechanics of tragedy that Mike is about to lay on you. This week, we're looking at Aristotle's rules for the basic elements of...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: All the World's a Stage by William Shakespeare
An animated interpretation of William Shakespeare's poem "All the World's a Stage"
Crash Course
North America Gets a Theater...Riot: Crash Course Theater #29
It's lights up in America! This week, we're headed to North America. We'll look at Native American storytelling traditions, the theater that Europeans brought along starting in the 17th century, and how theater developed before and after...
Crash Course
Nostrils, Harmony with the Universe, and Ancient Sanskrit Theater: Crash Course Theater #7
Ancient Sanskrit theater is one of the oldest theater traditions, and thanks to Bharata Muni and his treatise on theater, the Natyashastra, we can tell you quite a bit about it, all the way down to eyebrow and nostril poses. This week...
Crash Course
Where Did Theater Go? Crash Course Theater #18
The English Theater survived a lot of pushback from various powers that be, but in the 17th century, it had to go into hiding, from PURITANS. Let's take a look at how the English Civil War, Charles I's beheading, and the Restoration of...
Crash Course
Just Say Noh. But Also Say Kyogen: Crash Course Theater #11
This week on Crash Course Theater, Mike is taking you to Japan to have a look at Noh theater. Noh, and its counterpart Kyogen are some of the most revered theater forms in Japan, and are still performed today. Today you'll learn how Noh...
Crash Course
The English Renaissance and NOT Shakespeare: Crash Course Theater #13
The Renaissance came to England late, thanks to a Hundred Years War that ran long and lasted 116 years, and then a civil war to decide who would be the royal family. BUT after all that, with the Tudors (relatively) securely installed on...
Crash Course
Thespis, Athens, and The Origins of Greek Drama: Crash Course Theater #2
This week on Crash Course Theater, Mike is acting like theater started in Greece. Well, for the western theater, this is true. The earliest recorded drama in the west arose in Athen, and these early plays grew out or religious ritual....
Crash Course
Why So Angry, German Theater? Crash Course Theater #27
Theater had a slow start in Germany, mainly because Germany wasn't really a thing until *relatively* recent times. After Germany finally became a unified state, it had a couple of really important theatrical movements. Today we'll talk...
Crash Course
Hrotsvitha, Hildegard, and the Nun who Resurrected Theater: Crash Course Theater #9
When last we saw Theater, it was just making its way back in the West, by sneaking a little drama into the Easter mass. In today's episode, we're talking about Hrotsvitha, the cool 10th century nun from Lower Saxony who was maybe the...
Crash Course
Their Eyes Were Watching God: Crash Course Literature 301
In which John Green reads Zora Neale Hurston's novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," and talks to you about it. You'll learn about Zora Neale Hurston's life, and we'll also look at how the interpretations of the book have changed over...
Crash Course
Get Outside and Have a (Mystery) Play: Crash Course Theater #10
Not long after drama reappeared in the unlikely home of European churches, the church decided again it didn't like theater. And so, the budding dramatic scene was kicked out into the harsh elements of the outdoors. So, they started...
Crash Course
England's Sentimental Theater: Crash Course Theater #26
This week, we're headed back to England to learn about Sentimental Comedies. They weren't that funny, but they were definitely sentimental. The people of England were shaking off the Restoration hangover, and bawdy plays no longer had a...
Crash Course
Roman Theater with Plautus, Terence, and Seneca: Crash Course Theater #6
In which Mike delves into the theater of ancient Rome. It wasn't all gladiators and Christian-killing, you know. There was theater, too. Roman drama drew heavily on Greek drama. So heavily, in fact, that many of the stories and...
Crash Course
What Is Theater? Crash Course Theater #1
Welcome to Crash Course Theater with Mike Rugnetta! In this, our inaugural week, we're going to ask the two classic questions about theater. 1.What is theater? And 2. Is it spelled -re or -er? Well, there's a clue to question two in the...
Crash Course
Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson: Crash Course Theater #15
Shakespeare's tragedies...were tragic. But they had some jokes. They also changed the way tragedies were written. Characters like Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear had tragic outcomes, but they were sympathetic characters in a lot of ways....
TED-Ed
TED-ED: How to write descriptively - Nalo Hopkinson
The point of fiction is to cast a spell, a momentary illusion that you are living in the world of the story. But as a writer, how do you suck your readers into your stories in this way? Nalo Hopkinson shares some tips for how to use...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Insults by Shakespeare - April Gudenrath
"You're a fishmonger!" By taking a closer look at Shakespeare's words--specifically his insults--we see why he is known as a master playwright whose works transcend time and appeal to audiences all over the world.
Kids’ Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen
What’s So Special About Shakespeare? – Book
New ReviewWhat’s So Special About Shakespeare? – Book
Curated Video
Presenting on Shakespeare
New ReviewThis video, entitled "Presenting on Shakespeare," details how to recognize theme in Shakespeare's work
Curated Video
The Role of Dialogue in Drama
New ReviewThis video explains the role of dialogue in a drama.
Oxford Comma
Aeschylus Background and Introduction (Exploring Playwrights Ep. 1)
New ReviewAeschylus fought in one of the most important battles of the ancient world, was arrested for a capital crime against a secret society, and went on long dangerous voyages across the Mediterranean. But he survived it all and went on to...
Curated Video
GiGi's Playhouse, A Safe Place For People With Down Syndrome
People with disabilities can have a hard time learning or fitting in. If people aren't properly informed or educated they may not understand this lifestyle. People with Down syndrome need special attention to help them learn and grow....