FYSP 060 - Theater and Politics

FC SSCI WINT

4 credits
From Ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary direct action protest, theater has appeared as both a vehicle and a metaphor for expressing our collective life. This writing-intensive course explores connections between theatrical depictions of politics, or politics on stage, and the performative nature of politics, or politics as stage. What part does the artist play in public life? What roles must individuals perform to be heard? Two themes will focus our inquiry: gender roles and the (often sexual) violence that occurs “offstage” in even liberal polities; the organization of space and how it reproduces and reinforces hierarchies like social class.