Theatre is falsely upheld by the Western world as a vital contributor to political discourse. In reality, "political theatre" cynically embraces its mesages and artistry over its audiences. This betrayal has transformed political theatre into the most insidious and oppressive genre within the performing arts. In this lecture, Andrew Friedman discusses the politics of audience configuration in experimental and political performance quoting works such as Young Jean Lee's Lear, Vegard Vinge and Ida Müllers Vildanden, Shrek the Musical and the 2011 protests in Tahrir Square.
Andrew Friedman is a Theatre PhD Teaching Fellow at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center (CUNY). He is also a founding member and co-artistic director of the NY-based experimental theatre ensemble The Riot Group whose works have been presented internationally since 1998. His academic research has been published in Theatre Journal, Western European Stages,and the forthcoming anthology Baseball and Class. He teaches theater history and acting at City College in New York.