PERF12015 Staging Contemporary Issues

This course is based on the belief expressed by Brecht and Boal that theatre is a powerful medium for examining contemporary issues, and demonstrating social and interpersonal power structures. Brechtian theatre and its processes of staging are seen as agents of change, through their provocation. This course studies the theories and practices of Theatre for Change in its diverse historical and cultural contexts. Issues are examined relating to the purposes of theatre in terms of education, propaganda, and political and social empowerment. Through their involvement in the decision-making and reflective processes of production, students are assisted to form a grounded theory of Theatre for Change as a part of the socially, critical arts practice.