The seminar covers the development of the apprehension of the phenomenon of acting, in theatre and political performances, in light of the different approaches in theatre research. From the very beginning of theatre in ancient Greek, the medium of theatre was perceived as political. However, it was only in the late nineteenth century, with the rise of socialism and the Marxist approach to art, that researchers began to classify, categorize, and analyze the various types and streams of political theatre in a different way.

The courses examines political theatre through the prism of the phenomenon of acting, in daily life and in the theatre, along with surveying the development of different methods, theories, and types of acting from a political perspective. The phenomenon of acting is investigated within the framework of the different approaches in theatre research, but theatre is not the sole domain of acting. The seminar will focus on the phenomenon of acting as a central component in various disciplines, areas, and fields, considering their political aspects. The first field is professional, established theatre performed by professional actors that revolves around artistic goals and a written play. The second field is social theatre, which includes different types of theatre performed by non-actors, such as community theatre, theatre of the oppressed, and other types of performance that meet Baz Kershaw’s definition of “radical performance” as a tool for the oppressed to liberate themselves from the construct of power relations in reality that oppression forced upon them.