Theatre in Context: Analysis & Research (140-2-22)

Topic

Harlem Renaissance Performance

Instructors

Brandon Mckay Greenhouse

Meeting Info

Wirtz 225 Instruct Black Box 2: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

This class will explore the ways that the Harlem Renaissance laid the groundwork for transformative experiences in the worlds of literature, visual art, and performance. We will examine the theatrical works and performances of artists including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Ethel Waters and Paul Robeson to consider how their art became a means for engaging with emancipatory possibilities grounded in the imaginative. How did Hughes' plays like Mulatto and Mule Bone (co-authored by Zora Neale Hurston) open the door for publics to think more rigorously about the shifting subject position of Black citizens? How was Paul Robeson able to use the theatrical stage to traverse racialized boundaries as he engaged in performances of cross raciality then outlawed in much of America? We will also examine the theatrical works of Ethel Waters and Zora Neale Hurston to consider how Black women used theatre performance to telegraph knowledge rooted within lived experiences that straddled categories of subjection. This Theatre 140-2 class will introduce students to university-level research paper writing as they engage with script and performance analysis to examine these artistic works.

Registration Requirements

First year Theatre majors only

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for Theatre Majors only.