Post-dictatorship Theater in Chile: Alternatives to Teaching the Dramatic Genre

This article examines the plays, La muerte y la doncella (1992), by Ariel Dorfman, and Tejas Verdes (2004), by Fermin Cabal, as teaching materials able to promote the development of our students’ critical thinking. It also analyzes the filmic version of Dorfman's play, Death and the Maiden (1994), directed by Roman Polanski, and the recorded video of the theatrical premiere of Cabal's play, directed by Eugenio Amaya. This article seeks to evaluate the limitations of the written text in order to identify better alternatives to represent political memory and trauma. Furthermore, the purpose of each production (literary, filmic, performative) is analyzed taking into consideration the sociopolitical and cultural context in which each one was presented. Finally, in the context of a course about literature, this article explores the possibility to promote a dialogue about the different variations of the testimonial accounts of the victims of the Chilean dictatorship (1973-1990), through the critical analysis on the students’ part and their active participation through dramatized readings and/or theater workshops.