Drama and War in Africa: New Voices

This course is an historical, political and topical examination of the subject of War on the African continent as seen through the lens of artistic response. Class discussions will be based on the different Stage, Screen and Radio Dramas that will serve as course materials. We will analyze reflections by African artists and scholars on the violent conflicts that have characterized the region's recent history, as well as closely related international perspectives, such as those evident in Hotel Rwanda and The Last King of Scotland . We will also explore how political actors have used peformative techniques, and will specifically examine the ways that other members of society (especially women and children) deal with such crises. Canonical African dramatists like Fugard, Ngugi, Soyinka and Ousmane will be referred to, but emphasis will be laid upon the New Voices emerging from a range of African nations, including Rwanda, Uganda, Congo, Senegal, Sudan and South Africa, that have engaged with the subject of war.