THEA 1760 - American Political Theatre

Open to all students. A political play depicts individuals who, by dint of being identified as part of a social group, receive unfair treatment based upon a generally accepted system of laws, values, or way of doing things. The "system" may be legal, bureaucratic, ideological, nationalistic, religious, racial, gender-based, or the reflection of communal values, but it is usually unchallenged. The plays studied are written by U.S. playwrights, largely in the 21st century, and include, among others, such subjects as the rise of the Alt-Right, women in the workplace, anti-Muslim discrimination, and racially segregated housing.