This course will introduce students to major developments in world theatre history through the exploration of a wide range of plays, performances, and practices. In the Fall term our trajectory will go roughly from antiquity to the 16th Century; in the Winter term, from the 16th Century to the present. We will examine material from Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with close attention to the social, religious, historical, aesthetic, and political parameters in which theatre and performance take place. Nurturing ethnically sensitive approaches to world theatre history, this course considers the many ways theatre and performance interact with the globalized world. Students will have an opportunity to participate in collaborative projects and focus on writing for research in the performing arts.