Special Topics in Theatre Studies (240-0-20)

Topic

Passing: Performances of Personhood

Instructors

Brandon Mckay Greenhouse

Meeting Info

Wirtz 240 Seminar Room 2: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This course examines the complex and historically rooted racial practice of passing—the act of presenting oneself as a member of a different racial group, most often for survival, mobility, or access to social and economic opportunities in the United States. Centering theatrical plays from the early twentieth century to the present, the course investigates how this practice has been represented, challenged, and reimagined through dramatic and cinematic storytelling. While focusing primarily on how passing offered potential paths for black individuals, we will also explore other aspects of the practice and its employment by other racial groups as well. In addition, we will also test the dexterity of the term by considering ways we all attempt to "pass" in moments of uncertainty out of fear of exclusion. The course will be grounded primarily in theatrical works with film and written text woven into the syllabus to add texture and nuance to this layered conversation.

Class Materials (Required)

None/No cost