01 MW6 CAC 12258 MURPHY HH-A4
Radical Plays
In the decades after the off-off-Broadway movement in the US and the end of stage censorship in the UK, experimental theater took on new social and political force. This class explores innovative drama written in English in an era defined by reactionary cultural politics. Focusing on radical plays of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, we will consider new forms of dramatic critique, from the socialist feminisms of Caryl Churchill and Maria Irene Fornes to Suzan-Lori Parks’s “rep+rev” of history and Edward Bond’s relentless distrust of power. Many radical plays describe a world that can be difficult to confront: throughout the semester, we will discuss the ethical and political problems they raise for us and for their historical audiences. Grading will be based on an in-class midterm paper, a final creative research project/paper, and class participation.