Intro to Historiography Flashcards
Theatre
“History of Theatre in Africa”
- Martin Banham
Embraces a wide range of aspects
of performance
- largest and most inclusive sense
Ex. Dance, storytelling, masquerade, communal festivals
History (Who’s History?)
African Indigenous vs. European Settler cultures in the 20th century
“History of Theatre in Africa”
- Martin Banham
European theatre = Great distance from roots of function
African theatre = Remains directly related to roots of function
Takeaway: African theatre is still very true to the ritual, seasonal rhythms, religion, and communal communication that has been passed down through history
Medicine
“Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
*Not about curing
- connection & health
First Nations Medicine Wheel
“Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
Circle that embraces the directions, the seasons, the ages of a human being, the grandfather teachings.
*Everything is about being connected
Bad medicine: breaking bonds or social contracts
Good medicine: Community
four traditional medicines of the First Nations
“Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
- tobacco
- sweetgrass
- sage
- cedar
Tobacco connection
“Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
Spiritual World & prayers to the Creator
Sweetgrass connection
‘Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
Kindness, as it bends when stepped on
Sage connection
‘Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
Purification of our hearts and minds of bad things
Cedar connection
‘Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
cleansing, strength, protection
Drum as Medicine
‘Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
- circular symbolic shape
- cycles of seasons and life, directions, and equality (for no point on a circle is closer to the centre than any other)
DRUMBEAT = MOTHER EARTH HEART BEAT
How does Indigenous Theatre make medicine?
(4)
‘Indigenous Performance Culture”
- Yvette Nolan
Indigenous theatre artists make medicine by reconnecting through ceremony, through the act of remembering, through building community, and by negotiating solidarities across communities.
THEATRE CONNECTS THE PAST TO THE FUTURE
- Ceremony
- Remembrance
- Making Community
- Survivance
Historical Inquiry
“The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Historiography”
- Thomas Postlewait
Search for truth about the past within the limits of possible knowledge
What are some issues with unreliable research methods?
“The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Historiography”
- Thomas Postlewait
- Sloppy, flawed scholarship due to possible lack of education, or proper methods are ignored or misapplied
*CREATES SLOPPY HISTORY not completely accurate or as accurate as it should be
