Performance and Law: Staging Sovereignty in the Courtroom and the Theater

Catalog description

In this course we explore the relationship between law and performance, and investigate the political stakes of doing so across various historical moments. From scripted proclamations of sovereignty during scenes of conquest to witness testimony in the infamous witch trials, legal processes often seem to rely on spectacle, drama, choreography, scripting—i.e., features associated with theatrical performances. Through case studies we learn to interpret legal events as performances and vice versa (staged performances as legal events). Can a work of theater or dance legislate? Adjudicate? Restore justice? Reading intensive and interdisciplinary course. Students across arts and social science backgrounds welcome.