THR 339, 340 - Post-Independence African Theatre

1 course unit

This course examines theatre in Africa beginning from the anticolonial independence movements of the 1950s and continuing to the present. It does not purport to offer a comprehensive view of Africa’s diverse theatrical traditions but examines several regions, heritages, and time periods, attentive to both commonalities and differences. Particular attention will be given to theatre’s function as an agent of social and political change. Theoretical concerns are likely to include theatre and nationalism, negritude and its critics, the relationship between theatre and ritual, the role of women, and the interaction of indigenous African performance practices with western theatre.
Prerequisite(s): THR 100 - Theatre & Society: An Historical Introduction or permission of instructor.
Meets general academic requirement HU and DE (and W when offered as 340).