2023 Fall
THEATER 119 1 - LEC 1
Formerly Dramatic Art 119
Performance Theory
Performance and Law
Angela Marino
Class #:30662
Units:4
Instruction Mode:
In-Person Instruction
Offered through
Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies
Current Enrollment
Total Open Seats:
-1
Enrolled: 41
Waitlisted: 0
Capacity: 40
Waitlist Max: 8
No Reserved Seats
Hours & Workload
3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials, and 9 hours of outside work hours.
Final Exam
TUE, DECEMBER 12TH
08:00 am - 11:00 am
Wheeler 222
Other classes by Angela Marino
Course Catalog Description
An examination of a theoretical topic or perspective on performance, with specific attention to the interface between theoretical endeavor and dramatic, nondramatic, and nontheatrical modes of performance; may involve visiting artists. Topics vary from semester to semester.
Class Description
What happens when we put law and performance next to each other and begin to rethink how and why they were separated in the first place? At a time when all of humanity is being asked to restore a deeper ethic towards justice, one that calls into question the legitimacy of the so-called 'rule of law,' such a question is more important than ever. Where is the defense of Mother Earth in the US constitution? Why is property fundamentally protected and not one's personal or community well-being? Derived from a system of settler colonialism, how much can we expect the legislature, the supreme court, or an apparatus of law enforcement to defend our families and communities who are on the front lines of change in this country? By examining performance, we can expose the fissures between law and justice, as well as how performance legitimates rule and also upturns it: the courtroom reality show, the rebel who flips the rigged system, vigilantism and the villain. Our central focus will be on the Peoples' Tribunals as a crucial step towards making justice in unjust times. We will read plays and see performances in the Bay Area to learn how playwrights, performance artists, and activists contest unjust laws and remake community agreements through civil disobedience and performed resistance. We will see how music, dance, visual media, and theater, are forms of expression that in a sense become our courts, helping us in deciding what is legitimate or not, what makes truth or lie, and how one can speak and act on truth to bring about new and liberating forms of power.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat Rules
Requirements class fulfills
Meets Arts & Literature, L&S Breadth
Reserved Seats
Current Enrollment
No Reserved Seats
Textbooks & Materials
See class syllabus or https://calstudentstore.berkeley.edu/textbooks for the most current information.
Guide to Open, Free, & Affordable Course Materials
Associated Sections
None