Book Description: 

In Californios, Anglos, and the Performance of Oligarchy in the U.S. West , author Andrew Gibb argues that the mid-nineteenth-century encounter between Anglos and californios— the Spanish-speaking elites who ruled Mexican California between 1821 and 1848—resulted not only in the Americanization of California but also the “Mexicanization” of Americans. Employing performance studies methodologies in his analysis of everyday and historical events, Gibb traces how oligarchy evolved and developed in the region.

This interdisciplinary study draws on performance studies, theatre historiography, and New Western History to identify how the unique power relations of historical California were constituted and perpetuated through public performances—not only traditional theatrical productions but also social events such as elite weddings and community dances—and historical events like the U.S. seizure of the city of Monterey, the feting of Commodore Stockton in San Francisco, and the Bear Flag Revolt.

Author Bio: 

Andrew Gibb is an assistant professor of theatre history, theory, and criticism at Texas Tech University. He has published work in Theatre History Studies, Theatre Symposium, Comparative Drama, the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, the Latin American Theatre Review, Texas Theatre Journal, and the edited collection Querying Difference in Theatre History.