Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This collection of contemporary postcolonial plays demonstrates the extraordinary vitality of a body of work that is currently influencing the shape of contemporary world theatre.
This anthology encompasses both internationally admired 'classics' and previously unpublished texts, all dealing with imperialism and its aftermath. It includes work from Canada, the Carribean, South and West Africa, Southeast Asia, India, New Zealand and Australia. A general introduction outlines major themes in postcolonial plays. Introductions to individual plays include information on authors as well as overviews of cultural contexts, major ideas and performance history.
Dramaturgical techniques in the plays draw on Western theatre as well as local performance traditions and include agit-prop dialogue, musical routines, storytelling, ritual incantation, epic narration, dance, multimedia presentation and puppetry. The plays dramatize diverse issues, such as:
*globalization
* political corruption
* race and class relations
*slavery
*gender and sexuality
*media representation
*nationalism
Synopsis
This collection of contemporary post-colonial plays demonstrates the extraordinary vitality of a body of work that is currently influencing the shape of contemporary world theatre. The anthology, the first of its kind, includes both internationally admired classics and previously unpublished texts. It draws upon work from Canada, the Caribbean, South and West Africa, Southeast Asia, India, New Zealand, and Australia.
Dealing with imperialism and its aftermath, the plays use a wide range of dramaturgical techniques drawn from Western theatre and local performance traditions. Agit-prop dialogue, musical routines, storytelling, ritual incantation, epic narration, dance, multimedia presentation and puppetry are among the many ways these plays through which individuals and groups express their concerns. The plays dramatize issues as diverse as:
- globalization
- political corruption
- race and class relations
- slavery
- gender and sexuality
- media representation
- nationalism
Post-Colonial Plays: An Anthology includes a general introduction which outlines the major thematics issues raised by post-colonial plays. Individual introductions to plays include biographical information on the author; an overview of the plays' cultural context and major ideas, and an outline of the play's performance history.