170540 UE Theatre as an Intercultural Experience: Das Land des Lächelns (2019W)

CONTENT:
The course revolves around the issues of clichés and stereotypes in approaching different cultures, exploring how performing arts can tackle the problem of intercultural (mis)understanding(s). Case-study: the production of "Das Land des Lächelns" (LdL) for Linz European Capital of Culture 2009, which was staged for the first time by a Chinese director, Li Liuyi. This part will be supported by some video documentation. The students will be exposed to different versions of Das Land des Lächelns and asked to spot the clichés in the operetta but also to reflect upon their own perception of China and of Chinese theatre. We will then have an overview of the history of Chinese Drama (huaju - spoken theatre) from the beginning of 1900 until today, with special focus on Chinese or international co-productions after 1979 in the People's Republic of China and on the ongoing dialogue between East and West. One lesson will be dedicated to the influence and fascination of China in the European theatre and music works of the past 100 years. This course is open to students of Theatre, Film and Media Studies as well as to students of East Asian Studies, with the intent to create in the class the possibility of a confrontation of different approaches to the same issues, starting from different educational and cultural backgrounds, and thus recreating what happens on a regular basis in the professional life of an (inter)cultural worker. Examples will be given on how theatre and film can be used as a tool for intercultural communication, understanding and integration. As final task the students will have the possibility to choose between: 1. Creating a script or a proposal for a theatre/storytelling/video workshop or project they could run in their neighbourhood/city; 2. Creating a video with interviews on the perception of China nowadays; 3. Writing an essay on the perception of China now or in the past, at the time the operetta was composed. The working language for this course is English.

AIMS:
After the successful completion of this course the students will be able to work in an intercultural contest knowing how to tackle issues and problems connected to cultural misunderstandings and possibly acting as better mediators, having also developed an ability to self-reflect on their own approach to intercultural work. They will also have a basic knowledge of the history of Chinese drama and of the reciprocal influences in the artistic dialogue between China and Europe and how to use theatre and filmmaking as tools to create a project in their own community.

METHODS:
The part of the course dedicated to the history of Chinese drama and orientalism and opera is frontal, while in the rest of the course my approach is dialogical. Working in groups will be possible, especially for the final assignments.