32210

WiSe 20/21: Theory and Practice of Postdramatic Theatre

Birte Wege

Comments

At its broadest, ‘Postdramatic Theatre’ can be defined as reflecting a development in mid- to late-twentieth century avant-garde theatre practice that is marked by a turning away from viewing the script, the written text – the literary genre of ‘drama’ – as central to theatrical work. Using this definition as our starting point, this seminar will offer an introduction to experimental theatre in America in the twentieth- and twenty-first century. We will ground our work in a wide range of theoretical texts from literary- theatre- and performance studies (beginning with early texts by Antonin Artaud, Gertrude Stein, and Peter Szondi, all the way to contemporary work including that of Erika Fischer-Lichte and Hans-Thies Lehmann, as well as a number of English-language scholars). In conjunction with these theory texts, we will explore the full range of American experimental theatre, including Expressionist Drama in the early twentieth century, the work of the post-war theatre avant-garde, and a variety contemporary developments. Given that theatre work in the American context has a tradition of not only responding to social, political, and cultural concerns of the day but, as critic Theresa Saxon argues, utilizing the affordances of the form to “actively [participate] in social debates, operating as a platform for examining construction of racial, ethnic, gendered, national and ultimately human identities” (American Theatre: History, Context, Form. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011, 1), our focus here will be on the works that specifically engage these categories. close

15 Class schedule

Regular appointments

Tue, 10:00 - 12:00 15 Class schedule

Tue, 2020-11-03 10:00 - 12:00

Lecturers:
Prof. Dr. Birte Wege