Major French plays from the literature of the 17th-21st centuries form the focus of this course. Selections are grouped around a theme, allowing us to explore the many intersections of private and public life. Representative topics include the generation gap, relations between the sexes, and ambition. The texts will be explored in socio-historical context, offering students a detailed understanding of the medium’s evolution and significance through the centuries. As the culmination of their scholarly and creative work in this course, students will collaborate in staging a short theatrical performance. Prerequisite: FREN 350 or FREN 351 or permission of instructor. (Group III)