FRS 002HH — Sec. 001 — (2 unit) — CRN 53664 — M 5:10-7:00 PM — 5 Wellman
Topsy-Turvy: Japan on Stage in Victorian England

Instructor: Robert Borgen, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, College of Letters and Science

Description: This course will treat Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, “The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu,” from several points of view, using both videotapes (in class) and reading assignments (out of class). This comic opera lends itself to discussion of various issues such as Western images of Japan and how they were created, Victorian England and how it was satirized, or musical theater and how it is created. In the first part of the course, students will be introduced to “The Mikado;” in its second part, they will investigate relevant topics of their choice. This course should broaden students’ knowledge of Victorian England, Japan, and musical theater. It will also help them view musical theater (and videos about musical theater) critically, in particularly calling attention to stereotypes and changing standards for how unfamiliar ethnic groups ought to be treated. Students should discover that the standards of one age can seem unacceptable in another time. Although I expect students to find some elements of “The Mikado” at best dated, at worst racist, they should also find satire that still rings true and much good fun. And finally, I hope it piques students’ curiosity to sample other comic operas or even grand opera. I will encourage students to look at “Madame Butterfly” as the operatic answer to “The Mikado.”

Format: In class, students first will watch and discuss relevant videotapes. We will begin with the 1953 film, “The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan,” which offers a rather old-fashioned and somewhat fictionalized version of their careers. It will be followed by Mike Leigh’s 1999 film, “Topsy-Turvy,” a more accurate account of how “The Mikado” was first written and staged in 1885. Finally, we will see a taped performance of the comic opera that preserves details of the original production. All of these were original intended for theatrical release and are more or less two hours long. In a two-hour format, we can view approximately half of each video, take a break, and then discuss what we just saw. These three videos will thus take up the first six class sessions. In order to help students make sense of them, I will have them read short selections on Victorian England, its views of Japan, and the libretto to “The Mikado.” Although assigned readings will be short, students will be expected to work on a research project of their own, for example, they can do additional reading on nineteenth-century England or Japan, American versions of “The Mikado,” other Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas, other theatrical works with exotic settings, and so forth. In the final weeks of the course, students will present the results of their projects. Grading: Students will be graded on participation in discussions (1/3 of grade), research presentations (1/3 of grade) and a short paper (3 pages) summarizing their research (1/3 of grade).

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