Representation matters. Representation on the page and on the stage – paired with power — have material consequences. This course examines representations of race and religion in the context of war and empire in classical, early modern and contemporary theater. Students will closely read texts like The Trojan Women by Euripides, The Tragedy of Othello by Shakespeare, Father Comes Home From the Wars by Suzan-Lori Parks, X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation by Marcus Gardley, Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar and The Palgrave Handbook of Theatre and Race. By reading a range of plays contextualized in wars from different time periods, students will put on their dramaturgical goggles and consider how the contexts of the texts’ original audiences inform the writing and staging of the work. Writing assignments will include analytical and creative papers and a collaborative project.