Provocative Performance
What is feminist theatre? How do artists use live performance to provoke not
only thought and feeling, but also social, personal, and political change?
This course will examine a wide array of plays and performances by and about
women; these pieces are, in turn, serious, hilarious, outrageous,
poignant--and always provocative. Our focus will be on English-language works
from the late 20th century to the present (#metoo) moment. We will read these
performance texts and/or view them on stage/screen; we will also read essays
that provide contextual background on feminist theatre theory and history.
Throughout the semester, we will engage diverse perspectives on women and
race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and gender identity; the issues we
encounter will also include marriage and motherhood, career and community,
feminism and friendship, and patriarchy and power. The class will take full
advantage of any related events occurring on campus or in the city, and will
feature visits with guest speakers. Students will have the opportunity to
pursue research on their own areas of interest (some recent examples are
"women in comedy," trans performance, drag kings, feminist directing, etc.).