During the 1970s feminist theatre research, in conjunction with the feminist movement and the parallel development of feminist theory, introduced to the theatrical field the perspective of gender difference and sexual desire, thus complicating the problematics of representation and the identity of the gaze in the construction and reception of the spectacle. This quest led to specific aesthetic forms and strategies of representation, which have now been modified and are extensively used by diverse marginalized social groups for the deconstruction of gender and other identity stereotypes of the dominant culture. Their common target is to promote new alternatives of multivalent representation that take into account such parameters as gender, race, ethnicity and sexual preference. The course will be taught through the analysis of representative theatrical scripts and a parallel discussion of relevant theoretical texts. It will thus familiarize the students both with new theatre practices and strategies of representation but also with the ideological and theoretical framework in which these alternative theatres are taking place.
Course textbook and outline / list of readings are available.
Assessment: 2 essays (2,000 words each) or final written exam or a combination of the two.
