Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law

How has contemporary American theatre presented so-called undocumented immigrants? Placing theatre artists and their work within a context of on-going debate, Guterman shows how theatre fills an essential role in a critical conversation by exploring the powerful ways in which legal labels affect and change us.

“Gad Guterman’s monograph Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law: A Theatre of Undocumentedness (2014) discusses the constitution of legal nonexistence and accounts of living without documents in relation to theatrical language, identity performance, and presence through the lens of several case studies of recent US-American plays on immigration.” (Julia Boll, Journal of Contemporary Drama in English, Vol. 6 (2), November, 2018)

"Gad Guterman's book is a unique analysis of plays by or about undocumented people from a variety of cultures living tenuously in the United States. His analysis is based on a thorough knowledge of theatrical praxis as well as an enlightening assessment of the legal policies underlying the impetus for the plays and performances he discusses through this new lens. This excellent study brings into conversation the multiple aesthetic and political ramifications of staged and un-staged performances of citizenship." - Jorge A. Huerta, Chancellor's Associates Professor of Theatre Emeritus, University of California, San Diego, USA

"The plays Guterman focuses on are provocative and accessible, which is a boon for studying and teaching this important archive of American drama. His analyses are penetrating, balanced, and sharp. Guterman shows us the important role theatre can play in troubling our 'legal consciousness,' bringing undocumentedness out of the shadows and into the light, and fostering deeper dialogues about the tense gap between 'I don't belong here' and 'I want to be here.'" - Tamara Underiner, Director, Theatre and Performance of the Americas Program, Arizona State University, USA

Gad Guterman is Assistant Professor in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University, USA.