Hardened Positions in US theater

Theatermakers in the profoundly disparate US society struggle to be part of the societal narrative. Positions of power are challenged and defended, with attributions being associated less with economic categories but with cultural identities. The increasingly hardened identitary (essentialized) positions particularly in the academic context of theater, counteracting the often bitter and ideological fight against social and political inequalities, show how ambiguous such strategies can turn out.

In an article in the July issue of Theater heute, I try to explain these developments presenting a few sample productions.