This course addresses when and why producing political theatre matters. We will look specifically at contemporary and canonical plays from around the globe that take on various political crises (e.g., the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Chile under Pinochet, the Liberian Civil War, the Arab Spring). In order to consider the challenges of producing highly charged political theatre, students will also attend professional productions and hear directly from artists who are engaged in making this kind of theatre around the world.
Sample reading list:
Danai Gurira (Liberia), Eclipsed
Athol Fugard (South Africa), Boesman and Lena
Taher Najib (Palestine), In Spitting Distance
Guillermo Calderon (Chile), Diciembre
Theater of the 8th Day (Poland), Files
See instructor for complete list
Reading/Writing assignments:
100 pages per week reading; weekly short response papers (15%); one 8-page paper (30%), presentations (25%), attendance and participation (30%)
