ABSTRACT
More than any other artistic practice, and in part because of its concretely public character, theater has been subject to the demand that it be of political or social use. The relation of theater to human rights is no exception. Discussions of this relation often proceed from the assumption that the theater is or should be an instrument for promoting the cause of human rights, or at least for bringing to light specifi c violations of human rights. As we shall see, the second half of the twentieth century did indeed produce many dramatic works and theatrical practices that pursue these aims – often with considerable power. Nonetheless, and as Paul Rae ( 2009 ) and others argue, the relationship between theater and human rights is more complex than this. Even if one limits one’s purview to the period following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, it is evident that what one might call the theater of human rights has done more than attempt to draw attention to incidents or practices regarded as abuses of human rights. It has sought to reveal the functioning of large-scale institutional structures of power that contribute to the violation of human rights or that prevent such violations from being addressed. It has explored the concept of human rights, helping us understand their content, character, and status. Just as importantly, it has criticized aspects of human-rights discourse and even attacked the very idea of a human right.
