This course explores melodrama, that much maligned but most wonderful of genres, from its original definition as “a sensational or romantic stage play with interspersed songs and an orchestral accompaniment” to its present day incarnations. We will investigate the history and techniques of melodrama as evidenced in works for the stage as well as music and cinema, and we will also pursue questions about the cultural significance and uses of melodrama in our culture. Reading and listening assignments include works by dramatists such as Dion Boucicault, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Ludlam, and the impresario David Belasco; novelists such as Charlotte Bronte, composers such as Robert Schumann, films by directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder; and selected theoretical writings by Eric Bentley, Peter Brooks, and Judith Halberstam. Through this course we will understand melodrama (and the quality of being “melodramatic”) through a range of artworks and historical contexts.