The ECL would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the 2023 Gram-O-Rama team for this year’s production of “Meat Prey Troll”! The Gram-O-Rama clas performed two shows this semester: one on-campus on December 5 and one at Mettlesome Theater on December 9.
In speaking to his thoughts on this year’s performance, Prof. Ross White said, “This year’s performance was a smash success. The students ended up in the largest venue that’s ever hosted Gram-O-Rama, to my knowledge, and they had an exceptional crowd. Then, five nights later, they did it again in a theater in downtown Durham. The spirit of adventurousness is alive and well in Gram-O-Rama!”
Gram-O-Rama was created over forty years ago for students who love stretching the English language to its most hilarious limits. This course is intended for students who love “word play, music, rhythm, sketch comedy, performance, nonsense, and the circusy possibilities of language.”
This course was originally designed by ECL faculty member, Prof. Daphne Athas and was revived after Prof. Athas’s retirement by Prof. Marianne Gingher. Breaking away from the rigidity of stylistics, Athas sought to “beguile” and “delight” through her unconventional approach to grammar and composition. Ever since Athas started shaping this course in the ‘80’s, it has been a beloved course for students and faculty alike and an immensely entertaining event to see by the wider community.