World Theatre: 1890-Present

World Theatre 1890-present is the third in a world theatre history sequence designed to explorethe development of dramatic forms, theatre practices, and performance from the fifth centuryB.C.E. to today. We will discuss histories of theatre and performance (scripts, design, audiences,conventions, cultural functions, etc.) within contexts of social, artistic, economic, and politicalevents, both local and global.

The survey will focus on representative case studies that will help us examine broader themes, questions, and narratives in world theatre history. We also will question how theatre andperformance helps produce, reinforce, and challenge understandings of race, gender, class, andsexuality throughout the world. Throughout the semester, we will explore a variety of theatre andperformance forms, including avant-garde performances in Europe, indigenous performance inthe Americas, political theatre in South Africa, musical and dance performances in Japan, andhip-hop performance in the United States, among others.

We will investigate world theatre history from a historiographical perspective. This means that we will examine our material not only for content, but also for how it conveys that content. In our exploration of how theatre history is crafted, we will develop critical historical skills andtools, including how to ask historical questions, assess primary sources, critique narratives, and clearly communicate our historiographical ideas and arguments. In the process, we will reflect on our own roles in the production of historical knowledge, especially in terms of generatingunderstandings of race, gender, class, and sexuality.