H28.0625 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Jan Cohen-Cruz
Poet Muriel Rukeyser writes, "Because you have imagined love, you have not loved; merely because you have imagined brotherhood, you have not made brotherhood." As if in response to Rukeyser's quote, community-based theatre endeavors to concretely affect its participants, both performers and audiences. The field emphasizes process such as workshops as much as product/ performances. The class combines an overview of U.S. community-based theatre methodology, history and issues with hands-on experience. Along with extensive critical reading and writing, each student does a mini-internship, co-facilitating or assisting a one-to-three hour weekly session approx. 10 times over the course of the semester. Class sessions include: 1) Trying out exercises for the internships; 2) Troubleshooting challenges and cheering on successes re: internships; 3) Discussing readings; and 4) Screening video clips. Course counts toward the Minor in Applied Theater.
