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SoSe 19: Restaging the Political: Contemporary Political Theatre in "Eastern" Europe

Radka Kunderova

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Thirty years after the 1989-revolutions in Europe, the so-called “political theatre” seems to represent a standard part of the repertory in the majority of the post-Communist European countries. However, this situation can hardly be taken for granted, since after 1989, the theatre there typically lost its interest in performing the political on stage. A few generations later, its concern for the public affairs has been revived and especially during the last decade, the theatre commenting on topical political issues has gained new urgency and has found new audiences. What aesthetic and discursive strategies have been employed by theatre makers when addressing the political? How is the political role of theatre and the term “political theatre” itself being understood in current theatre discourses rooted in different national contexts? We will search for answers to these questions by analyzing selected political productions originating from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary in particular, and positioning them within the appropriate political and social contexts. While doing so, we will seek new analytical approaches to grasp the political dimension of contemporary theatre. Should any appropriate production visit Berlin during the course of the seminar, we will complement analysis of the video-recordings with a live experience. This block seminar will be offered in English language, the readings will be available in English and exceptionally in German. Besides the theoretical studies, selected articles published in the English issues of theatre magazines such as Didaskalia, kød, Svet a divadlo, or from Theater Heute will be included. All readings will be available online in advance. Requirements: active participation in discussions and submitting an 8-page seminary paper in English or German. close