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

Topic

The Thinking Body: Corporeal Mime in Theory and Pr

Instructors

Henry Castillo

Meeting Info

Wirtz Center Cellar: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

What if the body could think, remember, and theorize on its own terms? This course introduces Dramatic Corporeal Mime as both a performance practice and a mode of humanities inquiry, integrating theatre history, theory, and practice. Taught in collaboration with guest artists Martín Peña Vázquez and Yanet Gómez Gómez of Teatro del Cielo, it examines how movement generates meaning, memory, and knowledge, positioning the body as a site of critical thought. Grounded in the work of Étienne Decroux and Jacques Copeau, the course traces the historical development of corporeal mime and its transformation across Latin American contexts into distinct and dynamic practices. It engages these traditions as both historical formations and theoretical frameworks, with particular attention to Martín Peña Vázquez's contributions and related materials. Through studio training, compositional work, critical reading, discussion, and writing, students explore how embodied practice both informs and is shaped by broader debates in theatre and performance studies. Open to all levels, the course emphasizes historical analysis, theoretical inquiry, and collaborative practice. Students develop a corporeal practice alongside a critical framework for understanding performance as a rigorous mode of thinking.