Time, Memory, and Meaning Making (DRA4309.01)

Sherry Kramer

May memory restore again and again
The smallest color of the smallest day:
Time is the school in which we learn,
Time is the fire in which we burn.    -Delmore Schwartz

They say that time is the main character of every story.  In time bound art forms, there are two times running in parallel–the story’s, and the audience’s.

This class will investigate the nature of perceived time in the time bound arts, the relationship between memory and meaning making, and the way that new discoveries about the way memory works are transforming our art forms.  There will be reading and viewing assignments every week. Small writing and creating assignments exploring how time can be used to manipulate the audience will be due throughout the semester, and each class member will be expected to invent a unique time signature and write a final play that exploits this way of organizing experience.

Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor. Submit paragraph of interest by November 1, along with a 10-page writing sample in any genre to skramer@bennington.edu. List will be posted by November 7 outside my door.
Credits: 4
W 2:10pm - 6:00pm
Maximum Enrollment: 12
Course Frequency:
This course is categorized as 4000, All courses, Drama, Four Credit, Sherry Kramer, and tagged , , , .