Phronesis or techne? Theatre studies as moral agency

Abstract

As a new century unfurls, the ‘downsizing’ and continuing marginalisation of theatre programmes in American higher education correspond to two curricular trends. First, the coupling of fiscal crises and the ‘back-to-basics’ movement has prevailed at all levels of education since the late 1970s. Since then, secondly, students’ intentions for the bachelor of arts (BA) degree have changed from developing intellectual qualities and a philosophy of life to that of preparing for economic security (D. Koeppel, The New York Times, 5 December 2004). Reflecting the changing function of undergraduate education, our efforts as theatre educators to impart knowledge of, and experience in, dramatic culture are compromised in the US by diminishing funds, smaller student enrolments, shrinking audiences, and intractable power struggles among dispirited faculty. As theatre educators, we often ask, why are we here? What is our purpose in a market-driven setting? To answer these questions, I want to argue that if we are to reverse our second class status, we must compose new curricular theories that will have currency with students as they also contribute to new formulations of liberal education.

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