Table Of ContentCRITICAL THEMES IN DRAMA
Critical Themes in Drama is concerned with the relationship between drama
and the current socio-political context. It builds on and contributes to ongo-
ing scholarly conversations regarding the use, benefit, challenges and oppor-
tunities for drama and theatre as a social, cultural, educational and political
act. The intention of this book is to canvas current theory and practice in
drama, to provide an extended examination of how drama as a pro-social
practice intersects with socio-cultural institutions, to link critical discourse
and examine ways drama may contribute to a broader social justice agenda.
Authors draw on a variety of theoretical tools from the fields of sociology,
anthropology and cultural studies. This combines with an exploration of
work from drama practitioners across a variety of countries and practices
to provide a map of how the field is shaped and how we might understand
drama praxis as a social, cultural and political force for change.
This book offers drama scholars, practitioners, researchers and teachers
a critical exploration which is both hopeful and critical; acknowledging the
complexities and potential pitfalls, while celebrating the opportunities for
drama as a practice for social action and positive change.
Kelly Freebody is Associate Professor at the Sydney School of Education
and Social Work, The University of Sydney. Her research focuses on drama,
social justice, creativity in education and school-community relationships.
Her teaching interests include drama pedagogy and teacher education.
Michael Finneran is Head of Drama and Theatre Studies at Mary Immacu-
late College, University of Limerick, Ireland, where he leads BA and doctoral
programmes in applied theatre. His research focuses on drama, theatre
practice, creativity and social justice.
Learning Through Theatre: Dramatic Opportunities,
Engagements and Challenges
Series Editors: John O’Toole and Kelly Freebody
This series commissions in-depth studies of the use of theatre and drama
for the widest range of specific purposes – beyond entertainment itself –
that involve learning. Contexts include formal educational settings such as
schools and colleges, as well as social, communal, health, political, develop-
ing world, human services, war zones and commercial contexts. In the fields
of applied theatre and drama education, three paradigms often define the
purpose and the practice:
• drama as art
• drama as education
• drama as social action and change.
Books in the series tackle both the opportunities and the tensions among
these paradigms: the developments, the challenges and the achievements in
this still-growing field. Critical awareness and appraisal are a key feature,
with some titles primarily grounded in theory and analysis, some more illus-
trative of good and bad practice. Authors include pioneers and established
leaders as well as emerging practitioners and scholars.
Critical Themes in Drama: Social, Cultural and Political Analysis
Kelly Freebody and Michael Finneran
Teaching and Learning Through Dramaturgy: Education as an Artful
Engagement
Anna-Lena Østern
For more information, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/Learning-
Through-Theatre/book-series/LTT
CRITICAL THEMES
IN DRAMA
Social, Cultural and Political Analysis
Kelly Freebody and Michael Finneran
First published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2021 Kelly Freebody and Michael Finneran
The right of Kelly Freebody and Michael Finneran to be identified
as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-72355-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-72359-0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-15479-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements x
PART I
Framing the drama of these times 1
1 Introduction to the drama of these times 3
Musings on ‘these times’ 4
So, what is the drama of these times? 8
The structure of the book 10
A critical stance 15
Core and recurrent ideas in this book 17
A hopeful book 21
2 Enduring inequity 23
Releasing or entrenching the ‘other’ 27
Recognition and representation – who gains what? 29
Agency 30
Voice and testimony 30
Hope and possibility 33
vi Contents
3 Useful drama in neoliberal times 36
What is neoliberalism? 38
The decline of grand narratives: why a focus
on individuals matters 39
How do neoliberalism and drama interact
in these times? 42
Drama and governmentality 45
Conclusion 46
4 Dramatic democracy 48
The normality of democracy 50
The link between drama and democracy 51
Explicit and reflexive spaces for engaging
the democratic paradox 53
Dramatic democracy in action 56
Acting and participating as a citizen: possibilities
and problems 58
Conclusion 60
5 Creativity and the global education reform movement 62
The problem with this solution to the perceived
education ‘problem’ 64
Creativity: syllabus and policy discourses 66
Curriculum and drama 70
Drama pedagogy across the curriculum 73
PART II
Examining the drama of these times 77
6 Glocalisation: mythologising place and community 79
Global, local, glocal 81
Context: glocalisation and agency 82
Contents vii
Mythmaking place and ideologies of home 83
Imagined communities 85
7 Migration – dramatic comings and goings 90
Migration, nation and identity 92
Migration 93
Exploring migration through drama: imagining
difference 96
Drama for migrants 100
Portraying and representing migration in drama:
telling stories 102
Conclusion 103
8 The theatre of battle 106
Drama that heals the wounded of war 106
This chapter 108
The drama of resistance 109
Drama that incites war 110
The performance of war and terror 112
Drama that intervenes and disrupts war 114
Drama that remembers and commemorates war 117
The drama of dealing with peace 119
Conclusion 122
9 The drama of sex and sexuality 124
The public performance of sex and sexuality:
celebration and identity 125
Sex, performance and politics 128
Drama about sex: pedagogy and efficacy 130
Conclusion 135
viii Contents
10 The health and happiness project: being ‘well’
in these times 137
Healthy drama in these times 140
Challenges in evaluation and funding of drama
and health projects 142
The complex reality of practice in drama and health 143
Contradictions and complexities 146
PART III
Preparing for drama of future times 151
11 Climate change – a battle for our hearts and minds 153
The environment, climate change and drama 154
The role of drama and art in climate change 155
The public and private performance
of environmentalism 156
The role of storying in our caring and aware-ing
about the environment 157
Community and collective responsibility 161
Embodied environmentalism in drama 163
Conclusions 164
12 Digital+ destinies 167
Technoscapes 168
Social acceleration 170
Changing paradigms and changing language 172
Digital+ drama communities 175
Digital+ drama communication 176
Digital+ drama identities 177
Digital+ artistry 179
Conclusion 181
Contents ix
13 Imagining and acting in the extended present
for unthought futures 182
The post-normal present, the problematic future 183
Drama and the future 185
Future possibilities for drama 190
Conclusion 191
14 The future looks bright? 193
Youth as hope/youth as problem 194
Drama in these times 196
Youth and drama practice 198
15 Enduring discourses of beauty, love and hope 201
The changing world 201
Pleasure – beauty, joy and play 203
Hope 204
A final note – remembering love and care 207
References 208
Index 231
