Spanish Through Drama

DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
The main goal of the course is to improve students? communicative competence in Spanish.
Students? work will focus on literary, drama, and cultural contents by means of tasks based on
actual excerpts of plays by renown Spanish speaking playwrights from different literary periods
(mainly, but not necessarily, from the 20th century). Excerpts will be analyzed as literary texts,
but also as samples of aspects of Spanish culture (with an emphasis on interculturalism), and as
potential starting points of new texts to be created by students. At the end of the course, some or
all of the new scenes will be performed by students for their program mates.

CONTENT
Week 1: Introduction to drama and the history of 19th-20th century main Spanish drama movements and authors.
Week 2-3: Task 1
Week 4-6: Task 2
Week 7-10: Task 3
Week 11-13: Task 4
Week 14-15: Rehearsal of scenes to be performed.

METHODOLOGY
All contents will be structured around tasks based on excerpts of plays by well-known Spanish
playwrights (mainly 19th-20th century) such as Buero Vallejo, Mihura, Lorca, Zorrilla?

Every task will encompass the following:
-brief literary analysis: contextualization, author, intention, characters?
-analysis of cultural aspects of situations and characters
-drama activities, including body and oral expression activities and characterization activities
-communication activities focused on Spanish: intonation, gestures, colloquial expressions?
-new text writing by playing with characters, stories, setting?

The course will start with group-conscience activities.
Students may be encouraged to attend a play performance as a group. This possibility will
depend on the shows available in the city and nearby area every semester. (Note: tickets for
shows are not included in Program fees).

ASSESSMENT
Grades will be calculated according to the following breakdown:
Tasks: 80% (20% per task; includes class activities and homework)
Participation: 10%
Rehearsal work: 10%

▪Note: Class attendance is essential in all courses. Therefore, it will be checked daily. Missing
classes will negatively affect the student’s final grade.