Looking to the rich cultural history of queer and feminist performance in the United States, this course examines performances of gender, sexuality, obscenity and refusal. In this class, we will ask how the terms "feminist" and "queer" come to determine a specific piece of theater or performance art. Is it the author's own political affiliation that establishes the work as feminist? Is it the audience's reading that gathers a work of art under a queer rubric? Furthermore, where does feminist performance meet queer performance? Topics will include feminist body art, AIDS activism, queer nightlife, installation and performance art, video art, and memoir. Focusing-in on strategies for engaging the many meanings of the words "queer" and "feminist," we will pair theoretical readings with theatrical sites. Authors and artists to be discussed will include Judith Butler, Paula Vogel, Holly Hughes, Beth Henley, Karen Finley, Samuel Delany, Nao Bustamante, Rebecca Schneider, Anna Deavere Smith, José Muñoz, Jill Dolan, Sylvia Rivera, Sharon Hayes, Sharon P. Holland, Bikini Kill, boychild, Lucy Lippard, Laurie Weeks, and Dean Spade. |