This course investigates the phenomena of liveness and presence, ca. 1750-1830. It considers what it was (and is) to be there: to exude presence, to feel the presence of another, and to experience the thrill that comes from a sense of participation in a collective moment. We will immerse ourselves in a world of theatrical performances, outdoor gatherings, art exhibits, public readings, protests and revolts, religious events, and encounters with nature and will do so through their depiction in art, literature, and the news. In our exploration of matters including embodiment, feeling, ephemerality, spatiality, and perception, we will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on theatre and performance studies and on work that engages with affect theory, media studies, and visual studies. What, we'll ask, can we learn from past depictions of the experience and eventfulness of immediacy? How might it offer a lens through which to understand cultural production both then and now?