Course Description
Theatre and performance from several Latin American and Caribbean countries. Study of the history of theatre and performance in the region and a selection of plays by some of the best artists. Emphasis will be placed on theatre’s cultural influences and its sociopolitical role.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be assigned critical, secondary
literature about the selected case studies and key scholarly
works in the field. Undergraduate students will primarily read
primary texts (plays, films, and a few theoretical texts). The
presentation will be oral. Students will present background
information about and analysis of a play (about 15-20 minutes)
and then lead the class in discussion (about 10 minutes). The
final project is determined in close consultation with the
professor. Ph.D. students will write 15-20-page research papers.
The final assignment for MFA students varies, as I encourage
them to link our study of Latin American and Caribbean theatre
to their own main area. For example, a student studying
performance proposed a Latin American performance technique
and wrote a paper about it. A student studying dramatic media
can create a website or animation and write a reflection about
it.
Athena Title
Latin Amer Carib Thea and Perf
Non-Traditional Format
This course includes experiential learning through such activities as Creole storytelling, Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, and Caribbean dance.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
• To understand and experience Latin American and Caribbean theatre and performance practices (like storytelling, carnival, ritual, or dance) • To identify the relationship between Latin American and Caribbean theatre and histories and legacies of colonialism and slavery • To describe how Latin American and Caribbean theatre responds to social and political problems like dictatorship, war, or social discrimination and inequality
Topical Outline
1. Introduction -broad overview of sociopolitical and historical contexts -definitions of “theatre,” “drama,” and “performance” in the Americas 2. Performing Histories and Legacies of Colonialism and Slavery -case studies (examples: The End of Atau Wallpa, a Tragedy, Version by Jesús Lara; Dream on Monkey Mountain by Derek Walcott; Fire’s Daughters by Ina Césaire) 3. Staging Gender and Sexuality -case studies (examples: Man Better Man by Errol Hill; Bellywoman Bangarang by the Sistren Theatre Collective; The Agony and the Ecstasy by Sabina Berman) 4. Responding to Dictatorship and War -case studies (examples: The Camp by Griselda Gambaro; Manteca by Alberto Pedro Torriente; Documents from Hell by Enrique Buenaventura) 5. Final papers and performances
Syllabus
Public CV