chapter 3: theatre and cultural diversity
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 3Chapter 3
Theatre and Cultural DiversityTheatre and Cultural Diversity
Critical Mirror:Critical Mirror:Art and Entertainment Reflect Art and Entertainment Reflect
CultureCulture
Culture – the values, standards, and Culture – the values, standards, and patterns of behavior of a particular patterns of behavior of a particular group of peoplegroup of people
Enculturation – the process by which Enculturation – the process by which we learn our culturewe learn our culture
Theatre Outside the Dominant Theatre Outside the Dominant CultureCulture
Multiculturalism – Multiculturalism – the endeavor to the endeavor to overcome all forms overcome all forms of discrimination, of discrimination, including racism, including racism, sexism, and sexism, and homophobia, so that homophobia, so that people can coexist people can coexist peacefully and peacefully and attempt to achieve a attempt to achieve a pluralistic pluralistic society.society.
Mic
hal
Dan
iel/Pro
ofs
heet
Basic Types Basic Types ofof
Theatre of the PeopleTheatre of the People
Theatre of IdentityTheatre of Identity
Theatre of ProtestTheatre of Protest
Cross-cultural TheatreCross-cultural Theatre
Theatre of IdentityTheatre of Identity
PPromotes a romotes a particular people’s particular people’s cultural identity cultural identity and invites and invites members of that members of that culture and others culture and others to experience their to experience their joys, problems, joys, problems, history, traditions, history, traditions, and point of view.and point of view.
© M
art
ha S
wop
e
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y
Yiddish TheatreYiddish Theatre
During the first half During the first half of the 20of the 20thth Century, Century, NYC’s Second NYC’s Second Avenue was known Avenue was known as the “Yiddish as the “Yiddish Broadway” Broadway” because so many because so many Jewish theatres Jewish theatres were located there. were located there.
Hu
lton
Arc
hiv
e/G
ett
y
Imag
es
African American TheatreAfrican American TheatreAugust Wilson’s plays have chronicled the August Wilson’s plays have chronicled the decades’ long struggle of Blacks in his decades’ long struggle of Blacks in his native Pittsburgh.native Pittsburgh.
Don
Ip
ock
Ph
oto
gra
ph
y/K
an
sas
Cit
y R
ep
ert
ory
Th
eatr
e
African American TheatreAfrican American TheatreWith With Topdog/Underdog, Topdog/Underdog, Suzan-Lori Parks Suzan-Lori Parks became the first African American woman became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Mic
hal
Dan
iel/Pro
ofs
heet
Asian American TheatreAsian American Theatre
In response to a In response to a white British actor white British actor playing the Asian playing the Asian lead in lead in Miss SaigonMiss Saigon on Broadway, actor on Broadway, actor B.D. Wong asked, B.D. Wong asked, “If Asian American “If Asian American actors aren’t good actors aren’t good enough to play enough to play Asian roles, what Asian roles, what are we good for?” are we good for?”
Joan
M
arc
us/
Ph
oto
fest
Theatre of ProtestTheatre of Protest
Objects to the dominant culture’s control Objects to the dominant culture’s control and demands that a minority culture’s and demands that a minority culture’s voice and political agenda be heard.voice and political agenda be heard.
Hispanic American TheatreHispanic American Theatre
El Teatro Camesino (The Farmworkers Theatre) was founded in 1965 by Luis Valdez.
Valdez’s play concerning the Zoot Suit riots in the 1940s is Zoot Suit .
Un
ivers
al/Th
e K
ob
al C
olle
ctio
n
Cross-cultural TheatreCross-cultural Theatre
Mixes Mixes different different cultures in an cultures in an attempt to attempt to find find understandinunderstanding or g or commonality commonality among them.among them.
Denver Center for Michal Daniel/Proofsheet the Performing Arts
Cross-cultural TheatreCross-cultural Theatre
The play The play Black Elk Speaks , Black Elk Speaks , which was which was adapted from an oral biography of a Sioux adapted from an oral biography of a Sioux holy man, tells the story of white holy man, tells the story of white America’s westward expansion from the America’s westward expansion from the Native American perspective.Native American perspective.
Japanese director Shozo Sato stages Japanese director Shozo Sato stages Western classics such as Western classics such as Medea, FaustMedea, Faust, , andand Macbeth Macbeth in Japanese Kabuki style. in Japanese Kabuki style.
Theatre as a Way of Seeing Theatre as a Way of Seeing through Another’s Eyesthrough Another’s Eyes
Ethnocentrism – privileging how one sees other cultures through the lens of one’s own
Mic
hal
Dan
iel/Pro
ofs
heet
Keeping Theatre of the People Keeping Theatre of the People AliveAlive
““A healthy state needs vigorous, lively, pluralistic debate, not enforced acquiescence to a bullying majority.”A healthy state needs vigorous, lively, pluralistic debate, not enforced acquiescence to a bullying majority.” Tony Kushner, playwright
own
L. M
uelle
r/S
taff
/Th
e C
harl
ott
e O
bse
rver
National Endowment for the National Endowment for the ArtsArts
The NEA enriches The NEA enriches our nation and its our nation and its diverse cultural diverse cultural heritage byheritage by supporting works supporting works
of artistic of artistic excellenceexcellence
advancing learning advancing learning in the artsin the arts
strengthening arts strengthening arts in the communities in the communities throughout the throughout the country country
Jane Alexander, former head of the Jane Alexander, former head of the NEA, testifies before Congress in the NEA, testifies before Congress in the early 1990s.early 1990s.
Terr
y A
she/T
ime L
ife P
ictu
res/
Gett
y Im
ag
es
Curtain CallCurtain Call
““Cultural diversity is as necessary for Cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature.”humankind as biodiversity is for nature.”
UNESCO’s UNESCO’s Universal Declaration Universal Declaration
on Cultural Diversityon Cultural Diversity