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Abstract
Evidence of human imposition of Other-Self binaries abounds throughout history, as men constantly vilify that which they perceive as different. This sort of alterity, this inherent difference, presents especially meaningful theatrical performances, as they portray social and spiritual relationships in a way that engages the audience with the surrounding society. Staging Otherness is culturally specific, sociopolitical context often informing production choices such as casting and costuming. I seek to examine five specific productions that engage powerfully with the notion of alterity. The first two, RSC performances of Marlowes Doctor Faustus, introduce the notion of spiritual Othering. For the other three, productions of Shakespeares Titus Andronicus ranging from 1849 to 1995, I will examine racial alterity and its influence on the performances within their specific cultures. Performances of alterity such as these ultimately expose the false construction of Other-Self binaries, revealing the notion of an Other to be an imposed reality.