{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/93029"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/93029","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Playing American: race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during the Great War, 1917-1919","abstract":"This dissertation explores the intersection of race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during US active engagement in the Great War through focusing on performances by and about German immigrants and African American soldiers. Quickly after President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany, the American homefront became a site of coercive patriotism supported by an extreme nationalistic rhetoric. A vital aspect of military preparedness would be the conformity of opinion, political expression, and outward signs of loyalty. Those who could or would not fit into the newly defined narrow view of proper American citizenship expression found themselves in the dangerous position of being outsiders. Those of German descent and recent German immigrants were suspected of disloyalty. Through a racialized process of enemization, Germans lost their access to the safety and security provided by White privilege. The performances examine in this dissertation derive from this brief period where the construction of race, and in particular the instability of Whiteness, stands out precisely because Germans are now considered White. Wartime German enemy construction was created through the modes and means of American anti-Black racism connecting xenophobic suspicions with deep-rooted racial of ideologies of White supremacy. The First World War was a ferocious conflict but rather than focus on the brutality of the battlefield this study centers on the often-overshadowed violence of the homefront. Against the backdrop of the striking spectacle of violence that was the Great War there were more intimate performances of violence that linked the minority subject to the nation. Through an interdisciplinary analysis rooted in theatre history, performance studies, critical race/ethnic theory, American studies, and utilizing archival research these chapters foreground how performed acts of violence constructed and circulated notions of race and citizenship on the theatrical stage and in everyday performance. The chapters of this dissertation discuss and analyze a theatrical event and a performative event for both German immigrants and African American soldiers including (1) an analysis the play Friendly Enemies (1918) by Aaron Hoffman and Samuel Shipman and its production and critical history, (2) the lynching of German immigrant Robert Prager in Collinsville, IL, (3) the African American soldiers charged for mutiny and murder for their participation in the Houston Riot, and (4) an analysis of the play Mine Eyes Have Seen (1918) by Alice Dunbar Nelson and its production history. Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that the hyper-patriotic wartime American landscape offers a productive site for examining the role of violence in racial and citizenship formation.","abstract_html":"This dissertation explores the intersection of race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during US active engagement in the Great War through focusing on performances by and about German immigrants and African American soldiers. Quickly after President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany, the American homefront became a site of coercive patriotism supported by an extreme nationalistic rhetoric. A vital aspect of military preparedness would be the conformity of opinion, political expression, and outward signs of loyalty. Those who could or would not fit into the newly defined narrow view of proper American citizenship expression found themselves in the dangerous position of being outsiders. Those of German descent and recent German immigrants were suspected of disloyalty. Through a racialized process of enemization, Germans lost their access to the safety and security provided by White privilege. The performances examine in this dissertation derive from this brief period where the construction of race, and in particular the instability of Whiteness, stands out precisely because Germans are now considered White. Wartime German enemy construction was created through the modes and means of American anti-Black racism connecting xenophobic suspicions with deep-rooted racial of ideologies of White supremacy. The First World War was a ferocious conflict but rather than focus on the brutality of the battlefield this study centers on the often-overshadowed violence of the homefront. Against the backdrop of the striking spectacle of violence that was the Great War there were more intimate performances of violence that linked the minority subject to the nation. Through an interdisciplinary analysis rooted in theatre history, performance studies, critical race/ethnic theory, American studies, and utilizing archival research these chapters foreground how performed acts of violence constructed and circulated notions of race and citizenship on the theatrical stage and in everyday performance. The chapters of this dissertation discuss and analyze a theatrical event and a performative event for both German immigrants and African American soldiers including (1) an analysis the play Friendly Enemies (1918) by Aaron Hoffman and Samuel Shipman and its production and critical history, (2) the lynching of German immigrant Robert Prager in Collinsville, IL, (3) the African American soldiers charged for mutiny and murder for their participation in the Houston Riot, and (4) an analysis of the play Mine Eyes Have Seen (1918) by Alice Dunbar Nelson and its production history. Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that the hyper-patriotic wartime American landscape offers a productive site for examining the role of violence in racial and citizenship formation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Salerno, Michelle R."],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Theatre","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Robinson, Valleri","Davis, Peter A.","Ruiz, Sandra","Chambers-Letson, Joshua"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-11-10T18:39:16Z","date_published":"2016-11-10T18:39:16Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:26:35Z","subjects":["theatre history","performance studies","critical race studies","First World War","Great War","World War One","Robert Prager","Mine Eyes Have Seen","Alice Dunbar Nelson","Houston Riot"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2016 Michelle Salerno"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/93029","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Robinson, Valleri","Davis, Peter A.","Ruiz, Sandra","Chambers-Letson, Joshua"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Salerno, Michelle R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2016-11-10T18:39:16Z","2018-11-11T10:15:40Z","2016-07-05","2016-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Theatre"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["theatre history","performance studies","critical race studies","First World War","Great War","World War One","Robert Prager","Mine Eyes Have Seen","Alice Dunbar Nelson","Houston Riot"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2016 Michelle Salerno"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/93029"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["This dissertation explores the intersection of race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during US active engagement in the Great War through focusing on performances by and about German immigrants and African American soldiers. Quickly after President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany, the American homefront became a site of coercive patriotism supported by an extreme nationalistic rhetoric. A vital aspect of military preparedness would be the conformity of opinion, political expression, and outward signs of loyalty. Those who could or would not fit into the newly defined narrow view of proper American citizenship expression found themselves in the dangerous position of being outsiders. Those of German descent and recent German immigrants were suspected of disloyalty. Through a racialized process of enemization, Germans lost their access to the safety and security provided by White privilege. The performances examine in this dissertation derive from this brief period where the construction of race, and in particular the instability of Whiteness, stands out precisely because Germans are now considered White. Wartime German enemy construction was created through the modes and means of American anti-Black racism connecting xenophobic suspicions with deep-rooted racial of ideologies of White supremacy. The First World War was a ferocious conflict but rather than focus on the brutality of the battlefield this study centers on the often-overshadowed violence of the homefront. Against the backdrop of the striking spectacle of violence that was the Great War there were more intimate performances of violence that linked the minority subject to the nation. Through an interdisciplinary analysis rooted in theatre history, performance studies, critical race/ethnic theory, American studies, and utilizing archival research these chapters foreground how performed acts of violence constructed and circulated notions of race and citizenship on the theatrical stage and in everyday performance. The chapters of this dissertation discuss and analyze a theatrical event and a performative event for both German immigrants and African American soldiers including (1) an analysis the play Friendly Enemies (1918) by Aaron Hoffman and Samuel Shipman and its production and critical history, (2) the lynching of German immigrant Robert Prager in Collinsville, IL, (3) the African American soldiers charged for mutiny and murder for their participation in the Houston Riot, and (4) an analysis of the play Mine Eyes Have Seen (1918) by Alice Dunbar Nelson and its production history. Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that the hyper-patriotic wartime American landscape offers a productive site for examining the role of violence in racial and citizenship formation.","Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2018-08-01","The student, Michelle Salerno, accepted the attached license on 2016-07-05 at 11:15.","The student, Michelle Salerno, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-07-05 at 11:24.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-07-05 at 16:25.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9755 on 2016-11-10 at 12:24:52","Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-10T18:39:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 SALERNO-DISSERTATION-2016.pdf: 2037840 bytes, checksum: 08e1aa98556006821b07bf876caf1331 (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4213 bytes, checksum: b4436c9a6d9dfd8070210952a1a6539e (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4559 bytes, checksum: 41717c5b324565b57eddc9f735463ca8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-05","Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 95451 Lift date: 2018-11-10T18:39:22Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD system","Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 95451 Lift date: 2018-11-10T18:43:22Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD system","U of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 95451 on 2018-11-11T10:15:40Z."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Playing American: race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during the Great War, 1917-1919"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Robinson, Valleri","Davis, Peter A.","Ruiz, Sandra","Chambers-Letson, Joshua"],"dc:creator":["Salerno, Michelle R."],"dc:date":["2016-11-10T18:39:16Z","2018-11-11T10:15:40Z","2016-07-05","2016-08"],"dc:description":["This dissertation explores the intersection of race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during US active engagement in the Great War through focusing on performances by and about German immigrants and African American soldiers. Quickly after President Woodrow Wilson requested a declaration of war against Germany, the American homefront became a site of coercive patriotism supported by an extreme nationalistic rhetoric. A vital aspect of military preparedness would be the conformity of opinion, political expression, and outward signs of loyalty. Those who could or would not fit into the newly defined narrow view of proper American citizenship expression found themselves in the dangerous position of being outsiders. Those of German descent and recent German immigrants were suspected of disloyalty. Through a racialized process of enemization, Germans lost their access to the safety and security provided by White privilege. The performances examine in this dissertation derive from this brief period where the construction of race, and in particular the instability of Whiteness, stands out precisely because Germans are now considered White. Wartime German enemy construction was created through the modes and means of American anti-Black racism connecting xenophobic suspicions with deep-rooted racial of ideologies of White supremacy. The First World War was a ferocious conflict but rather than focus on the brutality of the battlefield this study centers on the often-overshadowed violence of the homefront. Against the backdrop of the striking spectacle of violence that was the Great War there were more intimate performances of violence that linked the minority subject to the nation. Through an interdisciplinary analysis rooted in theatre history, performance studies, critical race/ethnic theory, American studies, and utilizing archival research these chapters foreground how performed acts of violence constructed and circulated notions of race and citizenship on the theatrical stage and in everyday performance. The chapters of this dissertation discuss and analyze a theatrical event and a performative event for both German immigrants and African American soldiers including (1) an analysis the play Friendly Enemies (1918) by Aaron Hoffman and Samuel Shipman and its production and critical history, (2) the lynching of German immigrant Robert Prager in Collinsville, IL, (3) the African American soldiers charged for mutiny and murder for their participation in the Houston Riot, and (4) an analysis of the play Mine Eyes Have Seen (1918) by Alice Dunbar Nelson and its production history. Taken together, these chapters demonstrate that the hyper-patriotic wartime American landscape offers a productive site for examining the role of violence in racial and citizenship formation.","Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2018-08-01","The student, Michelle Salerno, accepted the attached license on 2016-07-05 at 11:15.","The student, Michelle Salerno, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-07-05 at 11:24.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-07-05 at 16:25.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9755 on 2016-11-10 at 12:24:52","Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-10T18:39:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 SALERNO-DISSERTATION-2016.pdf: 2037840 bytes, checksum: 08e1aa98556006821b07bf876caf1331 (MD5) LICENSE.txt: 4213 bytes, checksum: b4436c9a6d9dfd8070210952a1a6539e (MD5) PROQUEST_LICENSE.txt: 4559 bytes, checksum: 41717c5b324565b57eddc9f735463ca8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-05","Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 95451 Lift date: 2018-11-10T18:39:22Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD system","Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 95451 Lift date: 2018-11-10T18:43:22Z Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD system","U of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 95451 on 2018-11-11T10:15:40Z."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/93029"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2016 Michelle Salerno"],"dc:subject":["theatre history","performance studies","critical race studies","First World War","Great War","World War One","Robert Prager","Mine Eyes Have Seen","Alice Dunbar Nelson","Houston Riot"],"dc:title":["Playing American: race and citizenship in American theatre and performance during the Great War, 1917-1919"],"dc:type":["text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Theatre"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:26:35Z"}