Transnational Theatre (348-0-20)

Topic

Collective Creation Theatre of the Americas

Instructors

Henry Castillo

Meeting Info

Wirtz 201 Performnce Black Box: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course explores creación colectiva (Collective Creation) as a method, an artistic practice, and a way of life, as it developed in the Americas in dialogue with audiences and in response to sociopolitical crises. We will examine key movements and practitioners, from Colombia's New Theatre and Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed in Brazil to Teatro Escambray in Cuba, Teatro Yuyachkani in Peru, The Living Theatre in New York, and Luis Valdez's El Teatro Campesino in the United States, among others. The course emphasizes collective creation as a dialectical aesthetic process that advances justice and human rights. Students will engage in a historical survey of experimental theatre since the 1970s, critical readings of foundational theories, and hands-on workshops developed and facilitated by guest artists. These workshops introduce physical training alongside improvisation, image construction, text analysis, and actor-centered dramaturgy, integrating aesthetics, inquiry, and activism to create theatre for social change. No prior theatre experience is required.

Registration Requirements

Open to students who have completed their first year or THEATRE 160-2.

Graduate students may request a permission number.

Class Materials (Required)

None/no cost

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Open to students who have completed their first year or THEATRE 160-2.