Broadcast Outage: We're investigating a broadcast transmission failure affecting the San Luis Valley from Antonito in the south to Salida in the north. We're working to resolve this issue. You can stream our live broadcast HERE or via the RMPBS+ App.

Stream live and on-demand content now on our new app:

RMPBS+

Donate

Help tell more stories in 2026 - make a year-end gift!

Crash Course Theater show's poster

Arts and Music

Crash Course Theater

Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson

Welcome to Crash Course Theater! Are you in drama club? Want to know about the history of theater? Maybe learn some theater history? Have a lot of fun? This is the series for you! We learn about the history and workings of the dramatic arts, together.

Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson

Season 1 Episode 15 | 11m 29s | CC

Shakespeare's tragedies...were tragic. But they had some jokes. They also changed the way tragedies were written. Characters like Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear had tragic outcomes, but they were sympathetic characters in a lot of ways. This was a big change from the way Seneca and the Greeks wrote tragedies, and it caught on.

share

Crash Course Theater

Watch more episodes

Crash Course Theater

Zola, France, Realism, and Naturalism

19th century playwrights remade the French theater – first with Realism, then Naturalism.

Crash Course Theater

Nostrils, Harmony with the Universe, and Ancient Sanskrit Th

Thanks to Bharata Muni, we can tell you quite a bit about Ancient Sanskrit theater.

Crash Course Theater

The Death and Resurrection of Theater as... Liturgical Drama

As Christianity rose in the west, theater declined. But it returned – via Catholic Mass!

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

Get trusted Colorado stories, programs, and events from Rocky Mountain PBS straight to your inbox.

Set Your Preferences >