In this course, students will learn about the history of various Asian theatres and study modern Asian plays, which involves examining plays written in English by Asian playwrights, adaptation of classic texts into Asian contexts, and translated texts. Students will explore the context and performance history of the plays as well as looking at English language theatres in Singapore, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Students will learn about constructing, designing, and producing plays, with a focus on how various technologies are incorporated into modern theatre practices. The course will involve theatre field trips and/or guest workshops delivered by theatre practitioners in Hong Kong.
- Identify and articulate the historical, cultural and performance contexts of "Asian" plays
- Deconstruct notions of “Asia” and develop a nuanced understanding of each play’s specific historical, cultural and theatrical contexts
- Develop critical analysis skills by examining and interpreting individual plays
- Understand the different performance demands and needs for contemporary audience
- Use their creative abilities to perform dramatic works in different cultural contexts
- Theatre and interculturalism
- Theatre practices and performance histories in Asia
- Orientalism, performances of “Yellowface,” and minstrelsy
- Translation and adaptation
- Modern Asia and changing representations
The sessions will consist of lectures, group discussions, performance/drama workshops and student-led presentations.
- Participation (15%)
- Response papers (30%)
- Mid-term exam (20%)
- Final group theatre project/performance (35%)
Selected plays from The Methuen Drama Anthology of Modern Asian Plays, eds. Siyuan Liu and Kevin J. Wetmore Jr., Methuen, 2014.
Other primary texts may include (subject to change and will be updated on Moodle in due course):
-Tong Dik Sang, The Flower Princess: A Cantonese Opera (1957)
-W. S. Rendra, The Struggle of the Naga Tribe (1979)
-Stella Kon, Emily of Emerald Hill (1985)
-David Henry Hwang, M.Butterfly (1988) or Trying to Find Chinatown (1996)
-Tanika Gupta, A Doll’s House [adapted from Henrik Ibsen] (2019)
-Hansol Jung, Wolf Play (2021)
-Yukio Mishima, Five Modern Noh Plays: Sotoba Komachi, The Damask Drum, Kantan, Hanjo and The Lady Aoi (2021)