Imaging War: New Drexel Course Explores the Way War Has Been Portrayed Through Art and Media

From the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. through current-day wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our view of war has been indelibly shaped by the images we see of the conflicts and their aftermath. A new fall course at Drexel University, entitled "Imaging War," examines how the subject of war has been depicted in media ranging from photography to television to video games.

Through discussions on the ways war is conveyed in film, how television portrays the war on terror and the war on drugs, how video games depict war and combat and how painting and sculpture have immortalized our centuries-old propensity for going into battle, the course will provide a dynamic look at the ways in which war has been represented and communicated throughout the years.

The class is taught by Karen Curry, executive director of the Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and a former NBC News and CNN producer; Hana Iverson, a visiting professor in the Westphal College; and Elliot Panek, a visiting professor in the Pennoni Honors College.

Each Tuesday evening class session will begin with a presentation by a guest speaker(s), followed by group discussion about the topic. Speakers will include award-winning photojournalists and correspondents, combat artists and network news executives. All of the guest lectures are FREE and open to the public.

Highlights include a presentation by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies, whose searing play Time Stands Still brings the intensity of covering war to life. Regarding his upcoming Drexel visit, Margulies said "When Time Stands Stillwas first produced, in 2009, the war in Iraq was still surging. Now, four years later, horrific conflicts in Africa and the Middle East dominate the news, sadly making the play seem as current as when it was created."

Photojournalist and documentarian Brian Palmer and Al Jazeera Americacorrespondent Sheila MacVicar, both veteran conflict journalists, join Margulies on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in Bossone Research Center's Mitchell Auditorium (3140 Market Street). Time Stands Still was nominated for two Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Performance by leading actress Laura Linney. Nick Anselmo, Annette Kaplafka and Bruce Graham will perform scenes from the play, with Graham reprising the role he played in the Act II Playhouse and Delaware Theater Company productions of Time Stands Still. A reception will take place after the discussion.

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