In this course we investigate 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 multivalenced incarnations. We will investigate the history and techniques of melodrama as evidenced in works for the stage, in cinema, in music, dance and the visual arts. We will also pursue questions regarding the cultural significance and uses of melodrama in our society. Reading and listening assignments include works by dramatists such as Dion Boucicault, Alexandre Dumas (fils), Charles Ludlam, and the impresario David Belasco; novelists such as Charlotte Bronte; composers such as Robert Schumann and David Bowie; bands such as Rammstein; films by directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder; and selected theoretical writings by, among others, Eric Bentley, Peter Brooks, Thomas Elsaesser, Linda Williams, Elisabeth Anker and J. Halberstam. Through this course we will understand melodrama (and the quality of being "melodramatic") through a range of artworks, and political and historical contexts.