L98 AMCS 378 Topics in AMCS: A Diamond in a Rhinestone World: The Performance and Politics of Dolly Parton

What is it about Dolly Parton that draws appreciation and respect from virtually everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political view?

This course will endeavor to answer this very question about the superstar and her career's impact on American culture. Whether expressing her Christian faith through song or funding coronavirus research, she seems to continually evade criticism and the "cancel culture" often plaguing celebrities today. Why is that so? How can one performer seem to bridge the left and the right, the North and the South, the blue collar and the white collar? Through an examination of her philosophies, songs, performances, and enterprises against the political and social landscapes in which they were shaped, we will discover what Dolly Parton can reveal about ourselves, our society, and our future.

 

Will Bonfiglio (he/him) is interested in the connections between performance and politics. His research interests include identity and performance; monuments, memorials, and commemorative practices; and theater and migration. A graduate of WashU’s program in Theater and Performance Studies, he has previously taught in the American Culture Studies and Performing Arts departments. As a theater artist, his creative work has been presented across the country.