FREN 467/567: Theater and Politics in French and Francophone History M 4:30-7:10pm Aquia 347 Prof. Christy Pichichero
United by principles of spectacle, performance, and the will to control an audience, theater and politics have been intimately related since the beginning of time. In this course, we will think about our current election through the lens of French and Francophone theater and politics, which have much to teach us about the theatricality of politics, about how theater has been used as a political tool by the powers that be, and also how the theater can be used as a means of GIVING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS and REVOLTING AGAINST WAR, CORRUPTION, IMPERIALISM, SEXISM, RACISM, and the VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. This course will be fun and thought provoking as we read plays, past and present news, watch movies and performances, and share our thoughts on social media. Subjects will include Louis XIV’s absolutism, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, Napoleon III, Anti-colonialism in Africa and the Caribbean, and French resistance to the Nazi regime. Authors include Robert Garnier, Pierre Corneille, Alfred de Musset, Aimé Césaire, Jean Anouilh, Gerty Dambury, and more! Readings in French and English, assignments and discussions in French.
May 09, 2016
