Pre-requisite: 93529
This unit is structured to explore and analyse the multi-faceted nature of the Australian Theatre Industry. Commencing with an overview of the state of our industry in the 1990s, students will be introduced to some of the major social, political, artistic and economic elements which have shaped the state of our art. Historically the unit will focus on the "post-Doll" period with reference to earlier eras. The unit is designed to extend from current official accounts of contemporary Australian Theatre which give prominence to mainstream playwrights and texts, in order to represent the grater diversity of theatre art which exists in our country. Thus the unit will be divided into the following areas: The industry in the 1990s, Mainstream, Alternative and Community, Feminist, Multicultural, and Aboriginal theatre. Within each area students will compare recent texts with earlier texts as the focal point to explore relevant issues and factors of a socio-political and/or economic nature which have contributed to the development of the specific art. Within this exploration the performative possibilities of the text will be emphasised.