AustLit

The topics in this unit vary from time to time and reflect the research interests of staff. Students should consult with the Department for current details of offerings available this year, two examples follow. From Doll to Cyborg (Dr Robyn MacCallum, second half-year). Throughout the history of children's literatureand more recently, children's filmtoys have been depicted as taking on a life of their own, a life which sometimes reflects, interrogates, or carnivalises human experience of the world. This unit examines the various uses made in literature and film of manufactured, surrogate human characters, ranging from dolls and stuffed toys to robots and cyborgs. Popular Theatre as Mirror, Polemic and Satire (Dr Rosemary Colmer, first half-year) Examines material from classical, medieval, renaissance and contemporary periods in terms of content, form and function to examine the possible relationships between theatre and audiences. How does theatre reflect, criticise and instruct? Is all theatre of necessity popular theatre? How do we differentiate between theatre and performance arts in general? How does theatre relate to performance space? In what sense are masques, processions, carousels, street entertainment viewed as 'theatre'? How do concepts of theatre change from one period to another?