Dr. Péter Szaffkó/Courses taught | Institute of English and American Studies

In addition to taking part in team-taught lecture courses on British Literature, I have offered the following courses (listed in alphabetical order) during the past 5 years:

Australian Drama and Theatre: An Introduction
(BA Theatre Specialization, MA)
seminar, 2 hrs, graded

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the general history of Australian theatre and drama in the 20th century. The course is a combined form of lectures and seminars and students will have to read primary as well as secondary sources pertaining to the formulation of the national character of modern Australian theatre and drama. Besides reading a number of plays by various authors including Ray Lawler, David Williamson, Louis Nowra, Michael Gow, Dorothy Hewett, Jack Davis and Patrick White, students will be required to read some theoretical and critical material on Australian Drama and Theatre. The course combines lectures and seminars, and students will have to do practical work by performing previously assigned scenes from the plays to be read.

British Theatre and Society
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization, MA)
lecture, 2 hrs, exam

This lecture course has been designed to investigate the relationship between British theatre as a cultural phenomenon (artistic and popular entertainment) and society from the Renaissance to the present day. The course will concentrate on the following major issues as relevant in the given period: theatre and its changing social functions (religious and political propaganda/forum, socialising, entertainment, etc.) in relation to its concrete audiences; theatre as a business venture; theatre and community culture; theatre and censorship; the social status and appreciation of theatre artists; the social and cultural role of mainstream, amateur, alternative and fringe theatres; theatre, cultural policy and state support. It is to be emphasised that the course does NOT intend to provide a comprehensive history of British theatre but rather reflect upon those issues which belong more particularly to the sphere of theatre as a profession as well as politics, sociology, economics and/or cultural studies with the aim of studying several aspects of British society from the point of view of the theatre as an integral part of British/European culture.

Communication Skills
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization)
lecture, 2 hrs, exam

The aim of the course is to introduce the students into the concept and various forms of communication with a special emphasis on the practical aspect. Although the course is compiled of lectures around such major topics as basic principles of communication, interpersonal communication, communicating in groups and in public, mass communication, theoretical issues will always be accompanied by practical examples and/or illustrations. Students will also be provided with the essential means and tricks of effective speech in various forms. The course ends with a written exam.

Contemporary Issues in English-Canadian Drama
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization, MA)
seminar, 2 hrs, graded
The course is designed to discuss major social and political issues as reflected in the English-Canadian drama of the 80s and 90s. The course provides an interdisciplinary study of relevant social issues in contemporary Canada and their special treatment in the dramatic mode. Topics to be discussed will include the survival and present status of Native Canadian culture, problems of marginality, gender and postcoloniality, art and politics. The issues will be studied primarily through dramatic texts but relevant theoretical and critical essays as well as current newspaper and magazine articles will also be used to add a wider scope to the issues touched upon in the selected plays. Students will be required to read the assigned plays (one play each week) together with selected critical writings. Individual seminars open with a stage presentation of a short but significant part of the given play by a previously selected team of students. The presentation will be followed by an introduction of the issue touched upon in the play by a student who has done some preliminary study in the field (mostly looking for relevant articles on the Internet).

English-Canadian Drama and Theatre
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization, MA)
seminar, 2 hrs, graded

This course is designed to give an introduction to the general history of English-Canadian theatre and drama from the beginnings to the late 1980s. The course is a combined form of lectures and seminars and students will have to read primary as well as secondary sources pertaining to the formulation of the national character of modern Canadian theatre and drama. Students will be required to choose one of the plays on the list and present a short scene in twos or threes and they are expected to lead a discussion of the given play. The final grade will be based on classroom activity, the presentation or chosen scene as well as the end-term paper.

History of the European Theatre: European Renaissance Theatre
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization)
lectures/seminars, 2 hrs, graded

This course is required for those students taking up Theatre Studies specialisation. The course will include both lectures and seminars and focus on the Renaissance theatre in Italy, France, Spain and England. The lectures will provide information on theatre architecture, acting styles and major trends in playwriting. The lectures are accompanied by seminars during which representative plays will be discussed and analysed basically from a theatrical rather than literary point of view. Students will be required to read and work with all the assigned plays in English both in terms of discussion and presentation as well as write an end-term paper based on the material of the lectures and the plays assigned for the course.

Introduction to Postcolonial Theatre and Drama
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization, MA)
seminar, 2 hrs, graded

The aim of the course is to introduce the students into the relatively new field of post-colonial theories and literatures, concentrating on dramatic writings and theatrical practices. Besides reading a number of plays by various authors ranging from Canada (George Ryga and Tomson Highway) and Australia (Louis Nowra and Jack Davies) to Africa (Wole Soyinka and Athol Fugard) and the Caribbean region (Derek Walcott and Trevor Rhone), students will be required to read some theoretical and critical material on post-colonial drama and theatre. The course combines lectures and seminars, and students will have to do practical work by performing previously assigned scenes from the plays to be read.


Introduction to Theatre Studies
(BA Theatre and Communication Specialization)
lecture, 2 hrs, exam

The lecture course is intended as an introduction to the understanding of the nature and various elements of the theatre as one of the most complex and ancient forms of art. Topics of the course include a brief history of world theatre, theatre architecture, acting and playwriting, the role of the most important makers of theatre such as actors/actresses, directors, playwrights, scenic, costume and lighting designers, stage managers as well as the relationship between audiences and various kinds of theatre. During the semester each student must see at least two professional or amateur theatre productions in Debrecen or elsewhere and write reports/reviews on their experience.