The Immigrant Experience in Theatre and Film
Tuesdays (Hybrid)
10:30 a.m.–12:00 noon
John Clum

Register for Stage and Screen

Four years ago, I taught a course on films about the immigrant experience in the United States. This is a deeper dive into the subject beginning with the film that is considered to be the first sound film, The Jazz Singer. After that, we will be looking at classic films and plays about the immigrant experience in America.

Topics to be covered:

The Jazz Singer, Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing, Hester Street, and The Goldbergs. Broadway, Hollywood and Jewish Immigrants.

Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams on the Immigrant Experience: A View from the Bridge, The Rose Tattoo, The Fugitive Kind.

Jan Troell’s The Immigrants, Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn, and Elia Kazan’s America, America

From the South: El Norte, Sin Nombre, and Quinceanera.

From Asia: Minari, The Joy Luck Club, Take Out, Gook, The Namesake, The Big Sick

From the Middle East: The Visitor, Breaking Fast

Recent plays: Ironbound, Sanctuary City, FOB

John Clum taught courses in acting, dramatic literature, playwriting, and the history of theatre and film at Duke University, where he was Professor of Theater Studies and English. He has directed almost 100 productions of everything ranging from Shakespeare to many premieres of contemporary plays to opera and musicals. John has written eleven books and 75 essays on modern and contemporary drama, musical theatre, film, television and opera. He is now President of the Edward Albee Society. He has been elected a Lifetime Member of the College of Fellows of American Theatre.