CU Boulder Student, 2022, “Global Theatre II”
“This was my favorite class this semester. Erin is very engaging and respectful; moreover, I have extreme appreciation for how she took special care to highlight traditionally marginalized voices and to elevate playwrights from other countries (Egypt, South Africa, etc.). I learned so much from this class and it always felt like a very safe place to explore ideas and to fumble; there was no shame placed in being wrong or realizing that you hadn't thought through a concept all the way. Erin was also very conscious of the language she used in the classroom and how she spoke about communities that she wasn't part of--in my opinion, she did a great job at balancing her own social privilege (i.e. speaking about a marginalized community as a white woman) and staying true to her responsibilities as an instructor. I really wish that I could take more classes with her and wish that she was full-time faculty here. Best theatre instructor I have ever had!.”
Global Theatre History II: 1600s to the Present
SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE Spring 2023, 2024
This course provides a general overview of global theatre (outside the USA) from the 1600s to the present. From the European invasion of the Americas to the imperial occupation of Africa, from the influence of foreign performance traditions on the European Avant-Garde to the importing of the latest contemporary art trends in postcolonial countries, theatre has always played a central role at the intersection of modernity and colonialism. We will start with some of the earliest plays to be performed in the Americas, and will end with some of the most recognized European directors of the 20th Century. At the end of this course, you will be better equipped to situate a play in relationship to the historical context in which it took place, and to interrogate the relationship between colonialism, modernity, and the Avant-Garde in global theatre.
Global Theatre History II students doing an in-class reading of Maurice Maeterlinck’s 1890 symbolist masterpiece, The Intruder. We committed to the symbolist aesthetic with candles and a darkened theatre.
