COMMST 378Race and Performance

This course explores how critical race and performance studies illuminate 20th- and 21st-century theatre and performance. Students investigate the historical, political, and cultural contexts that inform the creation and presentation of performance works involving race, examining how theatre-making can resist or perpetuate structures of oppression and colonization. Through embodied research practices and critical analysis, students explore how racial concepts find expression through performative communication and scenography. Applying intersectional and decolonial approaches, students develop skills to create equitable, accessible, and anti-oppressive performance experiences while building capacity to communicate effectively across diverse artistic contexts and navigate complex creative territories with care and self-awareness.