Overview: The Flower Princess and Rouge were both widely popular performances meant to help Hong Kong forge its own unique identity. While the performances differ in context and form, they are equally contradictory in their function as byproducts of colonization and tools to grapple with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.Continue reading
Tag: spring2018
Posadas en Mexico
OVERVIEW: Different communities and cultures have created variations in the way that they celebrate Christmas. In San Luis Potosi, Mexico the streets are filled with lights, music and people from all social classes through traditional Posadas. More than a reenactment of the Holy Family’s journey, Posadas are an event thatContinue reading
#ShakespeareMustFall?: Decolonizing Shakespeare in 21st Century South Africa
OVERVIEW: In 2015, South African students protested exorbitant tuition fees, racial inequality at universities, and curriculums that failed to explore post-colonial South African culture. This page will explore the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Shakespearean theater festival, #ShakespeareMustFall?, and the ensuing charge to portray Shakespearean drama through a modernized lens. InContinue reading
Understanding The Troubles Through Theater in Northern Ireland
Synopsis: From 1968 to 1998, Northern Ireland experienced an ethno-nationalist conflict referred to as “The Troubles,” the violence of which can still be felt in many communities to this day. This conflict inspired an outpouring of plays that sought to comprehend The Troubles through the medium of theater, resulting inContinue reading
Musical Instruments and their Role in Cantonese Opera
Cantonese Opera is a performance style that uses a complex sound range and a diverse orchestration of instruments to complement several aspects of Cantonese Opera. Musical Instruments are an important aspect of Cantonese Opera that are worth more exploration! Introduction to the Music of Cantonese Opera Since the 1930s, CantoneseContinue reading
Catalyzing Individual Identity
Overview Nobel Prize winner Gao Xingjian left China to live on the outskirts of Paris and produced a stunning amount of high quality artistic work. In his play, The Other Shore, the playwright explores the difficulties and benefits of catalyzing individual identity. Global Theatre, in a narrow sense, consistsContinue reading
The Gendering of Characters in Carnival Mas
Synopsis Playing Mas in Trinidadian Carnival involves the performances of many different masques, but the characters enacted are gendered in their representation. Tony Hall’s play Jean and Dinah gives voice to the women excluded from Carnival and serves as a response to female oppression in Trinidad and within this performanceContinue reading
Ghanaian Theater
“In Africa, performance is a primary arena for the production of knowledge. It is where philosophy is enacted and where multiple and often simultaneous discourses are employed.“ “In addition, performance is a means by which people reflect on their current condition, define or reinvent themselves and their social world andContinue reading
Japanese Geisha: “The Flower and Willow World”
Introduction: Geisha have long since captured the attention of global theater and entertainment culture; the mastery of their theater and dance performances contributing to their allure as much as their intense privacy and unique entertainment practice. As highly skilled artisans, they are integral to Japanese culture and the study of theaterContinue reading
Beyond the Image: Carnival and Celebrity Celebrations
Nicki Minaj, Blac Chyna, and Amber Rose celebrate Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago. What does Carnival look like today? Are these stars embracing or appropriating the rich culture of Carnival? Before Global Theater, I confess that I knew very little about Carnival. My knowledge was confined to depictions of theContinue reading
