Category Archives: Theatre

Drama is Always Relevant

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Sharyn

I’m teaching a new-to-me play in my Introduction to Drama course this semester: Death and the King’s Horseman (1975), by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. I feel quite ignorant for not having read any of his work before, but I am an Americanist, … Continue reading →

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Spreak in the Archives, Day 1

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Sharyn

My campus is (finally) on Spring Break (Spreak) this week, and I am spending much of it far away, in the hills of Western Massachusetts at Smith College for a research trip. I am investigating the papers of the Third … Continue reading →

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Book Orders, How Do They Work?

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Sharyn

It’s that time of the semester–time to submit my textbook orders for the impossibly far-seeming Fall semester 2017. The pressure to get them in on time is pretty strong, since each department gets a stipend from the book store that … Continue reading →

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Trumptuffe

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Sharyn

I was teaching the 17th century French play Tartuffe, by Molière, last week to students in my introduction to drama class. We got into a really interesting discussion about hypocrisy and why phony human beings irritate us so much. Why is … Continue reading →

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It’s not “Street Theatre” if you freak out the oppressed

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Sharyn

As a scholar of political theatre, I would love nothing more than to see a resurgence of activist drama, agitprop theatre, and street theatre in these times. Because proposals floated by the Trump administration have not been reassuring to artists, scholars, or … Continue reading →

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The Renaissance of Angels in America

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Sharyn

I regularly teach the American Literature Survey in my department–all three parts of it. My academic expertise technically only covers the last two courses, which at our institution cover 1865-1914 and 1914-present, respectively. (But I actually love teaching the first … Continue reading →

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Teaching Angels in America

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Sharyn

One of my favorite texts to teach is Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, which comes at the end of my 20th c. American Literature course. I use the text to introduce postmodernism as the last major literary style/genre we study, … Continue reading →

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Apres Hamilton, Le Backlash

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Sharyn

When a cultural artifact becomes a certified phenomenon, as Hamilton has, the backlash is inevitable. Invariably, someone will shout “I don’t like thing! For reasons!” into the Internet ether, and will gain clicks or infamy for their bold stance against … Continue reading →

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Fast Take: Hamilton

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Sharyn

Everyone is talking about Hamilton and rightly so. I’ve been listening to the cast recording continuously since it came out, and I bet you have, too. It’s endlessly delighting, incredibly moving, and maintains a strong sense of thematic unity throughout … Continue reading →

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OK, Scholars, Let’s Discuss “Formation” (Part I)

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Sharyn

After a hiatus, the blog is back. And I, like everyone else, want to talk about Beyoncé’s new song and video, “Formation.” But before I do, I’d ask readers to first read/listen to the following: Yaba Blay’s article about the … Continue reading →

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