Studio Theatre just released its new season. There's a lot to be excited about here, including Caryl Churchill's most recent transplant, A Number, and Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change, fresh from Broadway. I am particularly excited about the chance to see Caroline, despite its mixed reviews in New York. Kushner's political mind thrills me, and his theatre has as well, although I wish I'd seen more of it up until this point, particularly Homebody, Kabul.
Most, interesting to my work, though, is Guantanamo: 'Honor Bound to Defend Freedom,' which is being billed as a docudrama. Docudrama has thrived of late in the U.S., based on the work of Anna Deavere Smith, Moises Kaufman and his Tectonic Theatre Group, and playwright Emily Mann; It also has a deep-rooted history in German theatre, extending back through epic theatre pioneer Edwin Piscator, all the way back to Georg Buchner, writing in the 1830s.
Despite the epic theatre tradition in England, though, docudrama has not been as prominent, particularly among female playwrights (Guantanamo is conceived by Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo), and given that my new appointment is in British lit, this is an exciting appearance on the DC stage. I'll just have to drive back to DC to see it!
What I find most compelling about the blurb is the quote from The Mail, which notes that the play compels the audience to action, which is in part mny thesis on these plays, although I tend to focus on action through dialogue, rather direct action. Still, this should be an exciting production.
Other theatre of note this season: Washington Shakespeare Company, which hasn't yet posted its new season, is doing both Tom Stoppard's Hapgood and Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, both excellent, excellent plays. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make them all, but I do hope to make some . . .
