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Ethics and Theater-Making in Contemporary America: Making and Avoiding Unnatural Disasters

Rocco, Olivia
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5587-3664
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors158773070360455

Abstract Details

, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Ohio University, Theater.
Americans often imagine themselves as champions of anti-colonial action. The origin of the country was, after all, a story of the British colonies in the soon-to-be United States defeating the great British Imperial force in the name of freedom. Unlike what the story of brave revolutionaries who fought Britain to form a new “land of the free” implies, the United States of America has not vanquished colonialism once and for all. On the contrary, the U.S. has become an imperial-colonial power on a global scale. Challenging citizens in the United States to acknowledge the American empire and turning to subjugated groups for their perspective can provide insight into the real-world consequences of these contradicting narratives. Colonial bias has informed many political decisions in the U.S. empire, which has resulted in devastating consequences for Puerto Rico, a U.S. colony. This was especially true when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and the uneasy Commonwealth status proved insufficient and unsatisfying (Harv. L. Rev. 2017; UN 2006; UN 2018). Constrained by a history of unjust colonialism, confused by a patched together legal relationship, and stunned by such instant devastation, Puerto Rico could not act, and the United States government would not help. That is the narrative that emerges when the people of Puerto Rico tell their story—one that defines colonialism as an ongoing force, articulates the challenges of fighting for rights against an empire, reveals the devastating costs of maintaining the American global power, and asks if Puerto Rico should really have to answer to the United State of America. Through a process of collecting testimony for, writing, and directing a verbatim play, I explore how a verbatim theater project can provide perspective on colonial relationships. A verbatim play is constructed from speech found in court documents, speeches, interviews, personal writings, or other public documents, and has the potential to raise awareness, inspire justice, and encourage empathy. In an attempt to break the pattern of silencing and othering that maintains colonial relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, I examine how verbatim theater can 1) allow creators and audiences alike to question the deeply held colonial beliefs about Puerto Rico; 2) disrupt the dominant discourse about a significant event, Hurricane Maria, by giving a voice to the people who experienced it; and 3) examine how colonial bias can manifest in discussions of ethics and theater.
Matthew Cornish, Dr. (Advisor)
Mary Rogus (Advisor)
José Delgado Costa, Dr. (Advisor)
Caribbean Studies; Ethics; Performing Arts; Theater

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Rocco, O. (2020). Ethics and Theater-Making in Contemporary America: Making and Avoiding Unnatural Disasters [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors158773070360455

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Rocco, Olivia. Ethics and Theater-Making in Contemporary America: Making and Avoiding Unnatural Disasters. 2020. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors158773070360455.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Rocco, Olivia. "Ethics and Theater-Making in Contemporary America: Making and Avoiding Unnatural Disasters." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors158773070360455

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ouhonors158773070360455
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and OhioLINK.