Interrogating War Stories: Dramaturgical Encounters with National Trauma

Abstract

Interrogating War Stories: Dramaturgical Encounters with National Trauma examines the intersection between dramaturgy and trauma studies. I argue that by incorporating trauma-informed approaches to the practice of dramaturgy, the dramaturg can serve as mediator and negotiator between the artistic team’s mimetic narrative, the nation-state’s dominant narrative, and the expectations of the spectators present for the live performance. Additionally, I consider practical ways for the dramaturg to bring the audience into conversation with a counter-narrative of socio-cultural trauma rather than a confrontation. These considerations are at the core of fostering more complex approaches to engaging with counter-narratives in the aftermath of national trauma. Using interdisciplinary analysis that will incorporate archival research, interviews with dramaturgs, and popular press reception, this project will investigate productions and their socio-historical context as well as the work performed by the dramaturg (if one was present), and consider how trauma narratives are performed and countered (both onstage and by spectators), in the wake of national catastrophe. Two plays will be used as case studies —Tony Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul (2001), and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig’s Lidless (2011), both of which involve U.S conflicts associated with the War on Terror. Within such context, this study will grapple with the benefits of a trauma-informed approach to dramaturgy.