The other day I realized that I don't know anything about theater history. Well, ok, I do know some, especially about English Renaissance (thank you independent study) and 18th-century English and Colonial American (thank you thesis), but that's. about. it. Brecht? I've heard of him. Anything else in the 19th or 20th centuries? Nope. The 21st? Ha. I guess I've seen Angels in America and read a little Tom Stoppard. So anyway, the other day I went to get margaritas with Kris and Liz, two girls in my program, and they told me more about my TA position and the plays we'd be reading/teaching. One of them is Hamlet so thank God for that, I just spent a summer as an assistant dramaturg on Hamlet. But otherwise I felt lost.
So two nights later, I went over to Kris's for wine, cheese, sci-fi discussions, puppy-meeting, and books. And now I'm reading them. I've read two of the plays that I'll be teaching and the first three and a half chapters of Brockett's The History of Theatre. I'm hoping to get as much read as I can before classes start. Breathing. Breathing. Feeling a bit more prepared.
People come into grad programs from all different backgrounds. I'm sure you're not the only one with some knowledge holes. And since you have people to ask, odds are you'll be right where you should be when classes start!
ReplyDeleteHanging out with new friends (and food and PUPPIES!!) sounds like fun. AND you get the skinny on your course. Problem solved! You'll be an expert teacher in no time!! Fake it til you make it :)
ReplyDeletePlease forgive me for saying that you 'got the skinny'. I can't think of another way of saying that phrase that doesn't make me sound like a 14 year old girl from the 90s. It's late and my brain has left the building.
What Kay said. That's what I came here to say. But she already said it.
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