Opera as (Racial) Politics
8-weeks | This course is completed
This course will examine the history of Black representation and presence on stage, from the
Renaissance and Shakespeare to the current opera season. From actors in blackface and Jim Crow dancers to today’s all-Black casts, we’ll explore how the theater reflected and challenged the racial stereotypes of the times in Europe and the United States. Class presentations will include video commentaries and performances.
Chuck Mishaan
Chuck Mishaan lectures and writes on the intellectual, political and artistic history of WesternEurope from the period of the Enlightenment to the present day. He has been presenting his
popular classroom series on Opera as Politics for several years at Vassar LLI and other area LLIs.