This course is a general overview of the critical theories in the context of theatre and performance. Beginning with the work of Ferdinand de Saussure in Semiotics that paved the way for structuralist framework, the course will trace the development of critical perspectives by surveying lenses from neo-Marxism, postcolonial theory, feminism, gender theory, post-structural theory, and deconstruction. Finally, the course will look into how these critical frames are useful for the understanding of theatre and performance.