This book explores the themes of colonial encounters and postcolonial contests over identity; power and culture through the prism of theatre. The struggles it describes unfolded in two cultural settings separated by geography; but bound by history in a common web of colonial relations spun by the imperatives of European modernity. In post-imperial England; as in its former colony Nigeria; the colonial experience not only hybridized the process of national self-definition; but also provided dramatists with the language; imagery and frame of reference to narrate the dynamics of internal wars over culture and national destiny happening within their own societies. The author examines the works of prominent twentieth-century Nigerian and English dramatists such as Wole Soyinka; Femi Osofisan; Davd Edgar and Caryl Churchill to argue that dramaturgies of resistance in the contexts of both Nigerian as well as its imperial inventor England; shared a common allegiance to what he describes as postcolonial desires. That is; the aspiration to overcome the legacies of colonialism by imagining alternative universes anchored in democratic cultural pluralism. The plays and their histories serve as filters through which Ampka illustrates the operation of what he calls overlapping modernities and reconfigures the notions of power and representation; citizenship and subjectivity; colonial and anticolonial nationalisms and postcoloniality. The dramatic works studied in this book embodied a version of postcolonial aspirations that the author conceptualises as transcending temporal locations to encompass varied moments of consciousness for progressive change; whether they happened during the hey day of English imperialism in early twentieth-century Nigeria; or in response to the exclusionary politics of the Conservative Party in Thatcherite England. Theatre and Postcolonial Desires will be essential reading for students and researchers in the areas of drama; postcolonial and cultural studies.
#2722588 in eBooks 2004-06-01 2004-06-01File Name: B000OI0ZMQ
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating Look Back at Joliet; ILs Beautiful Old Homes.By Miller Beach GirlThis is a very good collection of newspaper articles that P. Seth Magosky wrote about historic Joliet; IL homes; their previous owners; and what the homes statuses are as of the time of the article. Seth was evidently a historian; realtor; just all around history geek that loved the wonderful old homes of Joliet; which incidentally was my parents home town. Fully illustrated; great architectural details; plus fun stories of the owners past--its like a time machine into Joliets heyday in the 1880-90s. Sadly; Seth died at a very young age ten or so years ago; and this was a big loss for the cultural preservation of Joliet. Very enjoyable book; glad his family is still publishing this book. RIP; Seth. :-( and his dad; who died a few years later.PS: One of the historic homes featured in here; the Frank Shaver Allen home; (which I believe Seths parents owned in the 1970s); is now up for sale and quite dilapidated. However; it appeared this week on the Realtor.com website list of "10 hottest listings" for this week; April 18th; 2017. Reportedly haunted; as is another of the homes Seth owned; the Scutt Mansion; also in Joliet. Yeay for all the people who buy these homes with love and the intent of preserving and enjoying them...not built like this anymore!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy JohnA fine book by a fine author.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. It never gets oldBy Lovisa GustaffsonThe enjoyment of historic Joliet architecture never gets old! Learn about the houses and people that made Joliet an architectual beauty. We must preserve these testaments to quality workmanship and serious craft long lost to the no style plastic houses of this modern time.