Theater 393B - Between Tattoos Biomythography

This course will focus on the artistic legacy of Judyie Al-Biali, professor of theater for social change, and her unpublished manuscript Between Tattoos: A Biomythography. Inspired by Audre Lorde, Al-Bilali's Between Tattoos weaves together history, autobiography and mythology to reflect the multifaceted nature of her own Black artistry and selfhood. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of contemporary Black Theatre primarily through the lens of applied theatre and theatrical jazz, both of which were fundamental components of Al-Bilali's artistic scholarship. The material we collectively devise during the course will inform future iterations/stagings of Between Tattoos. Major topics of exploration: the Black Arts Movement, Black jazz aesthetics, West African & Caribbean cosmology, & Greek tragedy, specifically the Bacchae of Euripides.