Dramatizing war: George Packer and the democratic potential of Verbatim Theater

Journal article

Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2010). Dramatizing war: George Packer and the democratic potential of Verbatim Theater. New Political Science. 32(4), pp. 561 - 574. https://doi.org/10.1080/07393148.2010.520441
AuthorsChou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland
Abstract

Times of war are often times when democratic debates are under siege. The apparent necessity to ward off an enemy and secure the nation's survival can trigger a state of exception: a partial suspension of crucial democratic rights and practices for the sake of national security. The purpose of this essay is to examine the potential and limits of theater to offer an alternative forum for public debate in contexts where freedom of speech is limited. To do so, the authors systematically analyze the content and context of one play: George Packer's 2008 award-winning play, Betrayed. Through their analysis, they make two key arguments about the democratic potential of theater. First, that theater has the potential to sidestep political censorship during a time of war. And second, that theater can give voice to a multitude of real characters and under-represented perspectives.

Year2010
JournalNew Political Science
Journal citation32 (4), pp. 561 - 574
PublisherRoutledge
ISSN0739-3148
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/07393148.2010.520441
Scopus EID2-s2.0-79956234352
Page range561 - 574
Research GroupSchool of Arts
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/88q80/dramatizing-war-george-packer-and-the-democratic-potential-of-verbatim-theater

Log in to edit
  • 128
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 4
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Enhancing perceptions of employability amongst first-year arts students and implications for student belonging
Busbridge, Rachel, Cunningham, Ashlee and Chou, Mark Fei-chun. (2024). Enhancing perceptions of employability amongst first-year arts students and implications for student belonging. Higher Education Research and Development. 43(4), pp. 792-808. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2023.2269864
The localist turn in populism studies
Chou, Mark, Moffitt, Benjamin and Busbridge, Rachel. (2022). The localist turn in populism studies. Swiss Political Science Review. 28(1), pp. 129-141. https://doi.org/10.1111/spsr.12490
Too young to run? Young political candidates and the 2020 Victorian local government elections
Chou, Mark, Pruitt, Lesley and Dean, Luke. (2021). Too young to run? Young political candidates and the 2020 Victorian local government elections. Australian Journal of Political Science. 56(4), pp. 428-444. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2021.1998345
Australian local governments and climate emergency declarations : Reviewing local government practice
Chou, Mark. (2021). Australian local governments and climate emergency declarations : Reviewing local government practice. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 80(3), pp. 613-623. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8500.12451
How local governments govern culture war conflicts
Chou, Mark and Busbridge, Rachel. (2020). How local governments govern culture war conflicts Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867825
Political meritocracy and populism : Cure or curse?
Chou, Mark, Moffitt, Benjamin and Bryant, Octavia. (2020). Political meritocracy and populism : Cure or curse Routledge.
Culture wars and city politics, revisited: Local councils and the Australia Day controversy
Busbridge, Rachel and Chou, Mark. (2020). Culture wars and city politics, revisited: Local councils and the Australia Day controversy. Urban Affairs Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087420945034
Different levels of government, different levels of political competence?
Chou, Mark. (2019). Different levels of government, different levels of political competence? Political Science and Politics. 52(2), pp. 256-260. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096518001798
Culture wars, local government, and the Australia Day controversy: Insights from urban politics research
Chou, Mark and Busbridge, Rachel. (2019). Culture wars, local government, and the Australia Day controversy: Insights from urban politics research. Urban Policy and Research. 37(3), pp. 367 - 377. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2019.1631786
Democracy
Chou, Mark. (2018). Democracy. In In R. Bleiker (Ed.). Visual Global Politics pp. 88 - 93 Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315856506
Combatting voter ignorance: A vertical model of epistocratic voting
Chou, Mark. (2017). Combatting voter ignorance: A vertical model of epistocratic voting. Policy Studies. 38(6), pp. 589 - 603. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2017.1384544
The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia
Chou, Mark, Pan, Chengxin and Poole, Avery. (2017). The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia. Contemporary Politics. 23(2), pp. 175 - 194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2016.1187468
Have the black knights arisen? China's and Russia's support of autocratic regimes
Chou, Mark. (2017). Have the black knights arisen? China's and Russia's support of autocratic regimes. Democratization. 24(1), pp. 175 - 184. https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2015.1124089
The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia
Chou, Mark, Pan, Chengxin and Poole, Avery. (2017). The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia. Contemporary Politics. 23(2), pp. 175 - 194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569775.2016.1187468
Elections and theater
Chou, Mark Fei-chun, Bleiker, Roland and Premaratna, Nilanjana. (2016). Elections and theater. Political Science and Politics. 49(1), pp. 43 - 47. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096515001225
Putting participation on stage : Examining participatory theatre as an alternative site for political participation
Chou, Mark, Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Pruitt, Lesley. (2015). Putting participation on stage : Examining participatory theatre as an alternative site for political participation. Policy Studies. 36(6), pp. 607 - 622. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442872.2015.1095281
The rise of China and the decline of democracy in Australia?
Chou, Mark. (2015). The rise of China and the decline of democracy in Australia? Australian Journal of International Affairs. 69(6), pp. 637 - 644. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2015.1081146
Democracy's story ... 250 years on
Chou, Mark. (2015). Democracy's story ... 250 years on. Australian Journal of Political Science. 50(2), pp. 365 - 379. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2015.1037824
Theories of world affairs
Chou, Mark and Poole, Avery Dorothy Howard. (2015). Theories of world affairs. In In Kavalski, Emilian (Ed.). Encounters with World Affairs: An Introduction to International Relations pp. 37 - 61 Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Editorial: Non-western theories of democracy
Chou, Mark and Beausoleil, Emily. (2015). Editorial: Non-western theories of democracy. Democratic Theory. 2(2), pp. 1 - 7. https://doi.org/10.3167/dt.2015.020201
From crisis to crisis : Democracy, crisis and the occupy movement
Chou, Mark. (2015). From crisis to crisis : Democracy, crisis and the occupy movement. Political Studies Review. 13(1), pp. 46 - 58. https://doi.org/10.1111/1478-9302.12070
Projections of China's normative soft power
Chou, Mark. (2015). Projections of China's normative soft power. Australian Journal of International Affairs. 69(1), pp. 104 - 114. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2014.952706
Democracy against itself: Sustaining an unsustainable idea
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2014). Democracy against itself: Sustaining an unsustainable idea Edinburgh University Press.
Democrats against democracy
Chou, Mark. (2014). Democrats against democracy. Cultural Politics. 10(2), pp. 163 - 181. https://doi.org/10.1215/17432197-2651756
Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2013). Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137298690
Democracy's not for me: The Lowy Institute polls on Gen Y and democracy
Chou, Mark. (2013). Democracy's not for me: The Lowy Institute polls on Gen Y and democracy. Australian Journal of Political Science. 48(4), pp. 485 - 494. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2013.841844
Betrayed by democracy: Verbatim theater as prefigurative politics
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2013). Betrayed by democracy: Verbatim theater as prefigurative politics. In In N S Love and M Mattern (Ed.). Doing democracy: Activist art and cultural politics pp. 231 - 255 SUNY Press.
The Subject of Analysis: Global Cities and International Relations
Chou, Mark. (2012). The Subject of Analysis: Global Cities and International Relations. Global Change, Peace and Security. 24(2), pp. 305 - 307. https://doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2012.681199
Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy
Chou, Mark. (2012). Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy Bloomsbury Publishing.
Constituted to Fail: dissecting and celebrating democratic failure
Chou, Mark. (2012). Constituted to Fail: dissecting and celebrating democratic failure. Social Alternatives. 31(1), pp. 39 - 44.
Sowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic and Beyond
Chou, Mark. (2012). Sowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic and Beyond. Theoria. 59(133), pp. 21 - 49. https://doi.org/10.3167/th.2012.5913302
When Democracies Fail
Chou, Mark. (2011). When Democracies Fail. Political Studies Review. 9(3), pp. 344 - 356. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-9302.2011.00237.x
`We like them bitches on the chessboard':Tragedy, Politics and The Wire
Chou, Mark. (2011). `We like them bitches on the chessboard':Tragedy, Politics and The Wire. C Theory. tbc015, pp. 1 - 1.
Theorising China's international relations
Chou, Mark. (2011). Theorising China's international relations. Australian Review of Public Affairs.
Morgenthau, the tragic :On tragedy and the transition from scientific man to politics among nations
Chou, Mark. (2011). Morgenthau, the tragic :On tragedy and the transition from scientific man to politics among nations. Telos. 2011(157), pp. 109 - 128. https://doi.org/10.3817/1211157109
Postmodern dramaturgy, premodern drama: The global resurgence of Greek Tragedy today
Chou, Mark. (2011). Postmodern dramaturgy, premodern drama: The global resurgence of Greek Tragedy today. Journal for Cultural Research. 15(2), pp. 131 - 152. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797585.2011.574053
Democracy in an age of tragedy: Democracy, tragedy and paradox
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun. (2010). Democracy in an age of tragedy: Democracy, tragedy and paradox. Critical Horizons. 11(2), pp. 289 - 313. https://doi.org/10.1558/crit.v11i2.289
Nietzsche's Style: On Language, Knowledge and Power in International Relations
Bleiker, Roland and Chou, Mark. (2010). Nietzsche's Style: On Language, Knowledge and Power in International Relations. In In Cerwyn Moore and Chris Farrands (Ed.). pp. 8 - 19 Routledge.
Antigone in Belfast: Staging Violence, Conflict and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland
Chou, Mark. (2010). Antigone in Belfast: Staging Violence, Conflict and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland. In/Stead.
The Symbiosis of Democracy and Tragedy: Lost Lessons from Ancient Greece
Chou, Mark Fei-Chun and Bleiker, Roland. (2009). The Symbiosis of Democracy and Tragedy: Lost Lessons from Ancient Greece. Millennium-Journal of International Studies.
From page to stage: What emerges 'in between' politics and art in George Packer's betrayed
Chou, Mark. (2009). From page to stage: What emerges 'in between' politics and art in George Packer's betrayed. Borderlands E-Journal: new spaces in the humanities. 8(3), pp. 1 - 10.