With its impassioned plays, inspired activism and outspoken artists, the theatre has long provided a venue for promoting and practising human rights; but is this always to the good? Drawing on an international range of examples, this short, sharp and timely book examines the theatre's support for - and challenges to - human rights today.

Act of violence or show of strength? In a world of spectacular suffering and power plays large and small what is theatre's role in protecting human dignity?

With its impassioned plays, inspired activism and outspoken artists, the theatre has long provided a venue for promoting and practising human rights; but is this always to the good? Today the relationship between theatre and human rights is not only vital, but complex and contested. Drawing on an international range of examples, this short, sharp and timely book outlines the key features of the debate and offers a critical take on where it should go next.

Foreword by Rabih Mrove

An original intervention into the field arguing that in a post 9/11 world of spectacularized suffering, the relationship between human rights is not only vital, but complex and contested
Part of the successful and innovative Theatre And series

Autorentext
PAUL RAE is Assistant Professor on the Theatre Studies Programme at the National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Zusammenfassung
In a world of spectacular suffering and power plays large and small what is theatre's role in protecting human dignity? With its impassioned plays, inspired activism and outspoken artists, the theatre has long provided a venue for promoting and practising human rights;

Inhalt
Series Editors' Preface.- Foreword; Rabih Mroué.- Introduction: Against Intuition.- PART I: The Human Right to Theatre?.- Rights Talk.- Theatre and the Subject of Human Rights.- Theatre as an Object of Human Rights.- PART II: Thinking Theatre and Human Rights.- .all too Human.- Paralegal Performance.- Theatre, Culture and Human Rights.- Lucky Me! The Right to Rights.- PART III: Theatres of Cruelty.- Conclusion: Unaccommodated Man.- Further Reading.- Index.