David Hare stands as a prominent figure in contemporary theatre, renowned for his insightful and provocative exploration of political themes and societal issues. In the hybrid public talk entitled "Exploring the Political Theatre of David Hare", Dr. Radoje V. Šoškić, Associate Professor at the University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica, elucidates the developmental trajectory of David Hare’s political dramaturgy within the socio-political milieu spanning three decades: the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. The event is organized by the Postgraduate Programme “Theatre Studies” of the Open University of Cyprus (OUC), which hosts a week-long teaching programme by Dr Šoškić in the context of the Erasmus+ International Mobility Programme. The lecture will be held on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024, at 19:00 GMT+2, at the Main OUC Building in Nicosia (33 Yiannou Kranidioti Avenue, 2220 Latsia), and will be broadcasted live through the OUC e-learning tools at this weblink: https://tinyurl.com/53e937st.
David Hare’s political theatre offers a compelling lens through which to examine the complexities of the contemporary world. The elucidation of his trajectory spanning the three decades is accomplished by scrutinizing one seminal play by the dramatist from each epoch, namely Fanshen (1975), The Secret Rapture (1988), and The Absence of War (1993), respectively. In alignment with this objective, each play is subjected to analysis within its contemporaneous political landscape as well as its theatrical milieu. Such contextual examination of the plays serves to elucidate the varied stances adopted by Hare and the diverse narrative pathways he navigates in his engagement with the British socio-political milieu of each decade.
Dr. Radoje V. Šoškić is an Associate Professor of Modern English and American Literature at the University of Priština in Kosovska Mitrovica. He has received his B.A., M.A. and PhD from the same University. Since 2008, he has been teaching at the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Philosophy, where he serves as Associate Professor. His major areas of research include: contemporary British and American Literature, postcolonial studies, anthropology, Western philosophy, and mythology. Dr Šoškić is the author of three scholarly editions dealing with post-modernism in American drama, the figure of Harlequin in Shakespeare’s plays, and the late plays of Arthur Miller and Steve Tesich (Postmodernism in Arthur Miller’s Late Plays, Harlequin, The World out of Joint and Shakespeare, The Closing of the American Mind in 'On the Open Road' by Steve Tesich and 'Resurrection Blues' by Arthur Miller) and articles in peer-reviewed journals.
