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Fall 2008
Theater 98/198
1 Unit(s)

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Human friendly URL (OBSOLETE)
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About the Course:

The goal of this class is to explore Bay Area foodways and food politics through performance. We will attend farmer's markets, listen to oral interviews of local food heroes, and read essays about food politics and food performances. We will also conduct oral interveiws with East Bay community members with varied relatinships to food (e.g. farmer, dishwasher, waiter, chef, nurse practitioner, food pantry volunteer, etc.). These interviews will be used to create performance pieces that we will showcase at the end of the semester. Course readings and in-class workshops on performing oral narratives (i.e. creating performances based on the stories of others) will prepare you for these performances.

Our proximity to numerous farmer's markets, organic farms, and alternative food networks makes this an exciting time and place for a class on food and community.

You will leave this class with:

1) a greater understanding of local foodways and food politics;

2) knowledge and experience with oral interviewing;

3) ability to create an original performance piece based on oral interviews

This is a class for:

1) actors interested in "performance research" (practicing character work through close observation of an actual person);

2) all students interested in community-based theater techniques (e.g. collecting oral histories to create performance);

3) students of the social sciences interested in oral history reseach and/or performace as a reasearch methodology

4) anyone intersted in local foodways and food politics

This class is open to people of varying performance backgrounds and skill levels. 

How to Enroll:

A low-key group audition will be held during scheduled class time the second or third week of classes (tbd). No need to prepare anything.

My criteria for the audition will include: willingness to speak about your personal relationship to food in front of a group; creative/imaginative performance choices; an ability to listen well and retell another's story with accuracy and integrity.

Again, this class is open to people of varying performance backgrounds and skill levels.  Feel free to email me -- non-theater people are welcome.

The CCN will be withheld until after the audition process.