Far-reaching ecological change is one of the most urgent social and political topics of our times. As scientists have increasingly taken to calling our current geological epoch the Anthropocene – a name that is supposed to reflect the fact that humans have begun to significantly shape the Earth’s surface – questions of human agency and its impact on the natural world we live in are becoming more pressing in science, but also in broader society (evidenced in climate protest movements like Fridays for Future), politics and, as a consequence, in the arts. While ecocriticism, the theoretical discipline that focuses on the ecological potential of literary texts, has so far predominantly focused on narrative and poetry, in recent years a number of contemporary playwrights have begun to address the ecological crisis.
In this course we will look at ways in which contemporary British theatre and drama tackle the ecological crisis: what aesthetic strategies are used to present the complex realities of climate change – a long-term development seemingly ill-suited for the dramatic mode – and social debates surrounding the environment? Can plays be effective in changing the audience’s perspective (and if so, how?) or is the political impact of theatre inherently limited since it may be ‘preaching to the converted’, i.e. primarily address those who are already aware of ecological challenges and convinced of the need for action to tackle them? In what ways do the plays link questions of ecology with other social problems such as race and gender inequality or economic inequality?
A list of plays to be read in class will be announced here in due course. Students must get hold of their own copies of the plays; theoretical texts will be made available on Digicampus.
One of the regular Zoom sessions will be replaced with the opportunity for students to attend the online conference on “Critical Theatre Ecologies” that will be hosted by the University of Augsburg in early June (see www.uni-augsburg.de/cde2020).
Anmelderegeln
Diese Veranstaltung gehört zum Anmeldeset "Zeitgesteuerte Anmeldung: HS: Staging the Ecological Crisis: Eco-drama in Contemporary British Theatre".
Folgende Regeln gelten für die Anmeldung:
Die Anmeldung ist möglich von 01.03.2021, 08:00 bis 05.04.2021, 20:00.