- Black Theater

Catalog description

An exploration of the history, literature, performance, and ongoing contributions of Black Theater. Students study performance practices, dramatic literature, and theoretical frameworks of Black intellectuals and artists from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Students examine the reciprocal effects between the art of Black Theater and its historical, political, and cultural contexts in topics such as anti-lynching plays, pageantry, experimental dance and poetry, the Black Arts movement, Black Lives Matter, Hip Hop Theater, queer performance, musicals, and documentary theater. Although the primary focus is on theater in the U.S, the course also considers diasporic and global Black identities and issues. Creative research projects provide opportunities for students to practice, apply, and share their knowledge in and outside of the classroom. Students interrogate themes of power, justice, and identity throughout the course, including (but not limited to) the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, politics, representation, and activism. Notions of community and civic engagement will also be examined and put into practice as course topics intersect with other campus events, the life of the college, the local region, and the nation, including the celebration of National Black Theater Day.