Acting with Power

This course combines insights from psychological research and theater practice to explore how power and status play a role in most social and professional interactions. Exercises drawn from actor training will illustrate how power is decoded and performed, while lectures from organizational behavior highlight the most relevant conceptual frameworks and empirical findings. Then, coached by theater professionals, students will prepare and present scenes from actual plays, as well as roleplay situations they have found especially challenging to experiment with new ways of showing up. In the process, this course will allow students to explore their comfort with playing high vs. low power, to consider the associations they have with power, and to question the potential tension between behaving authentically and acting in ways that best serve their group and values.