. Political Representation in Modern English Drama: A Study of Selected Plays By Muhannad Albayk Jaam Supervisor Prof. Munzer Absi Thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Literary Studies English Department University of Aleppo © Copyright by Muhannad Albayk Jaam 2016-2018 ii Political Representation in Modern English Drama: A Study of Selected Plays Abstract Politics plays an important role in modern English drama, and the relation between politics and drama is an ancient one. This thesis examines how such a relation culminates in an integration to the extent that the term ‘political drama’ has come to refer to the flamboyancy and showmanship of politicians, and the drama produced within the context of politics. Examining the historical roots of politics and drama through a historical survey in the first chapter yields interesting results. The witness plays, Karen Malpede’s Prophecy, Simon Stephens’ A Canopy of Stars, and Lydia Stryk’ American Tet are examined in the second chapter. An analysis is provided of the particulars of political stagecraft in the third chapter, comparing two plays, reality-based Bill Cain’s 9 Circles, and verbatim play Gillian Slovo and Victoria Brittain’s Guantanamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom. iii Disclaimer I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, or material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or the institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis. Signed:________________ iv Acknowledgments I am thankful to my family and friends, who have always been there for me at all times. I hope that my efforts will make you all proud of me. I would like to thank Professor Munzer Absi for his constant support throughout the period of my knowing him, and for simply being the great person that inspires all those around him. I would also like to thank my MA course professors who are the reason that I was able to get to this point. Special thanks go to Drs. Iman Lababidi, Bashar Aqili, Muhammed al-Taha, Arwa Fakhoury and Yahya al- Fadel. I would like to thank all the doctors and teachers at the English department, as they have contributed to shaping my efforts and endeavors, and especially Mrs Rana Doori, Dr. Zafer Seiba, and Dr. Rida Anis. v Table of Contents Contents Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ vii Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 A Historical Survey of Political Drama: From Ancient Times to Modern Milestones...................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: The Theatrical Response to the Trauma of Wars and Witnesses as Portrayed in Karen Malpede’s Prophecy, Simon Stephens’ A Canopy of Stars, and Lydia Stryk’s American Tet ...........................................................................................30 Chapter 3 Analysis of Reality-Based Political Drama: Guantanamo and Nine Circles.........63 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................86 Works Cited..................................................................................................................................89 Works Consulted..........................................................................................................................96 vi List of Appendices Appendix I: Brief chronology, 1953—1989 vii Albayk Jaam | 1 Introduction Since times immemorial, the relation between the dramatic medium and political concerns has stood undeniable. The stage has always been the place where such concerns and issues were laid for inspection. In the history of theatre, there is a long list of enactments addressing issues of current events that are central to society itself and those very enactments aim at raising consciousness and social change. Politics and drama are related to the extent that the term “political drama” is used to describe not only the genre of stage productions, but also to refer to the propaganda and eloquence of politicians. Playwrights often portrayed historical events and characters that were important or widely known at the time. Shakespeare is such an example, since he based many of his plays on historically important figures, such as kings and army leaders. This practice existed in the past and continues to be used even in our modern day world. Political Theatre challenges the audience’s own beliefs and encourages them to assess their own moral values critically. The most rewarding type of theater is one that stimulates thought and leaves people talking about the play for hours, days, or even years. Famous playwrights from different places such as Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, and Arthur Miller all wrote political plays. Political themes will continue to be an important topic on the stage because the theater is an ideal place for compelling stories about the complexities of the world. Modern English drama has taken a turn into politics in response to the increasing political and military involvement of the English and American governments in foreign countries, particularly, countries such as Iraq and Albayk Jaam | 2 Afghanistan. Modern theaters also produced plays centering on the themes of terrorism, with major historical events, such as 9/11, being dwelt upon in several forms of literature. Other plays focus on the battle between generations, and in extension, the ruling parties and the working parties. Such plays include depictions of capitalism and socialism, with the antagonist being the former. This results from the recent rise of the trend of socialism in the West. Plays about the battle of generations and their differing traditions can be sometimes political in the sense that the political ways of the ruling party, which usually belongs to the old generation, or the predominant political policies of the country are not sufficient for the young rising generation, and thus require reform – at least from their perspective. Such concerns and many others have become a common theme in modern plays. Being about politics, political theater includes post-colonial echoes as well. This is the case for playwrights of foreign nationalities or advocates belonging to certain backgrounds or ideologies. However, being contemporary in nature, and more often than not, addressing more or less current issues, it is more relevant to deal with the up-to-date themes of these dramas. In order to define the theme in question, political actions need to be considered. Thus, modern political drama can be defined as a broad genre containing subgenres, such as verbatim theater, reality-based theater, site-specific theater, with themes based on current political trends and decisions. This is why it is possible to consider modern drama as a representation of the world of politics. Regarding the most relevant recent socio-political world, war and politics prove to be the most resounding themes. Ranging from the Great Depression in America in the 1930s to post-Thatcher Britain, playwrights have found plenty of material to portray and comment on throughout the last century. When it comes to wars, the involvement of America and Albayk Jaam | 3 Britain in foreign affairs in the form of sending troops to fight battles have been the main impetus behind the theatrical representations of war and its consequences. It is a fairly controversial field, and it depends on which side represents the case being discussed. It is interesting, however, to examine how theater becomes a medium for expressing matters of political strife, and how it is possible for such dramas to have an impact of the world ruled by politicians and governments. Examples of the strength of theater in depicting current events can be found in many works nowadays. In a world where humans become mere cogs in the enormous machines that rule countries, where numbers or initials on papers lying in the vast labyrinths of offices become the sole determiners of the meaning of individual to governments, one is left to wonder at what our future holds in store. If modern dramas of today are meant, like the ancient dramas and performances were once meant, to educate the public; if they actually succeed in doing so, then the theater is a mighty weapon in the face of propaganda. It is, however, a double-edged weapon. Political theater as a term is also used to describe the propaganda of the parties competing for the public’s admiration. In this sense, drama is understood to be a means of enactment. Enactment entails untruth, or at least the representation of untruth. It is quite interesting to trace how the emerging political theater strives to deliver its messages, whatever they maybe, to a cynical and doubtful audience or even an audience that is unable to comprehend the themes