W&L Hosts 12th National Symposium of Theater in Academe
Washington and Lee University will welcome visitors from around the world to its 12th National Symposium of Theater in Academe on March 26-28.
This year’s symposium, “Displacements, Frontiers and Nomadism,” is organized by Domnica Radulescu, founding director of the symposium, the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Romance Languages and director of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program at Washington and Lee. “The themes of this year’s symposium of immigration, displacement and discrimination as portrayed and dealt with in the theater arts are more relevant than ever to our times,” said Radulescu.
Theater practitioners, scholars, artists and professors from across the United States and from international institutions will attend the symposium in an open exchange of ideas and artistic expressions relevant to the symposium’s theme. Approximately 10 faculty members from Washington and Lee and almost 30 W&L students will be presenting and will be involved in the panels, performances and readings.
The conference will feature papers, live performances and readings. It is free and open to the public. All events will take place in the Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons unless otherwise specified.
The first keynote presentation is “Children’s Literature from Page to Stage in a Diasporic Context” by Catalina Iliescu Gheorghiu from the University of Alicante, Spain, at 2:40 p.m. on March 26.
This will be followed at 6 p.m. by a performance of “The Quivering Rose,” by DAH Theater, Belgrade, Serbia. The play is described as a reflection about the strength and fragility of memory, and the meaning of disappearance and the possibility of transformation.
Maya Roth of Georgetown University will present the second keynote, “Reimagining Civic Poetics through Diaspora” at 10:30 a.m. on March 27. It will be followed at 1:15 p.m. by the third keynote, “Immigrant Theatre: Paradigm for the Acceptance of Multiculturalism in Perceived Homogeneous Societies” presented by Marcy Arlin, artistic director of Immigrant’s Theater Project in New York.
The performance of “Day Out: A Story of a Mother’s Love – Banishing the Idea that Black Poverty and Pain are Merely a Result of Circumstance,” a Black Lives Matter project by Anthonìa Adams, will be at 4:30 p.m.
Staged readings of “The Virgins of Seville/Las Virgenes de Sevilla” and “Exile is My Home” by Domnica Radulescu will be performed at 6:30 p.m.
The full symposium program is available at http://www.domnicaradulescu.com/events.html
12th National Symposium of Theater in Academe
Thursday, March 26
9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The Figure of the Nomad and Cultural Displacements
“Domestic Nomadism: Carceral Politics and the Prison Writing of Mauricio Rosencof and Ricardo Sánchez.” Seth Michelson, Washington and Lee University.
“Failed Meetings with Family Members and Oneself: Barbara Colio’s Theater.” Alfonso Varona, Hampden Sydney College.
“Cultural Displacement and Third Culture Identity in ‘Lejos de aquí’ by Roberto (Tito) Cossa and Mauricio Kartún.” Iana Konstantinova, Southern Virginia University.
“On Different Elective Centers: Real and Cyber Migrations, Radical Performance Art, and Guillermo Gomez-Pena’s ‘La Pocha Nostra.'” Nevena Stojanovic, West Virginia University.
12:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Borders, Homes, and Fluid Frontiers
“Coming Home and Crossing Borders: ‘The Return to the Desert’ of Bernard-Marie Koltès.” Thomas John Donahue, Saint Joseph’s University.
“Material Culture as a Space of Privacy, Ritual and Protest in Two Post-Civil War Spanish Dramas.” Iulia Spranceana, Centre College.
“A Place within a Place: Public and Private Worlds in Shakespeare’s ‘Troilus and Cressida.'” Jemma Levy, Washington and Lee University.
“Dangerous Sensations: Poisoned Stage Properties in Renaissance English Revenge Tragedy.” Holly Pickett, Washington and Lee University.
2:40 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Keynote Presentation
“Children’s Literature from Page to Stage in a Diasporic Context” by Catalina Iliescu Gheorghiu, University of Alicante, Spain.
3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. “She argues like an angel.” Entertainment Interlude – Commedia performance, Washington and Lee LIT 295 students.
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. “Empty Plots,” a staged reading by the play’s author, Chris Gavaler, Washington and Lee University.
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. “The Quivering of the Rose.” A reflection about the strength and fragility of memory, about the meaning of the disappearance and the possibility of transformation. Performed by DAH Theater, Belgrade, Serbia, with Dijana Milosevic and Maja Mitic. Directed by Dijana Milosevic.
Friday, March 27
9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Nomadic Drama and the Drama of Frontiers
“Empathic Economies: Affective Labor in Refugee Performance.” Lindsay Cummings, University of Connecticut.
“‘Lady Precious Stream’ Returns Home.” Da Zheng, Suffolk University.
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Keynote Presentation
“Reimagining Civic Poetics through Diaspora” by Maya Roth, Georgetown University
12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Keynote Presentation
“Immigrant Theatre: Paradigm for the Acceptance of Multiculturalism in Perceived Homogeneous Societies” by Marcy Arlin, artistic director of Immigrants Theater Project, New York.
1:20 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. Physical and Metaphysical Frontiers
“The Audacity of Home: Shakespeare’s Use of Time, Romance, and Intimate Stage Action to Bind Audience with Plot in ‘The Winter’s Tale.'” Jeff Moser, University of Denver.
“Wild Frontier and Closet Aesthetic in Margaret Fuller’s ‘Summer on the Lakes 1843.'” Hea-Gyong Jo, Wayne State University.
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Theater and Movement Workshop
Travelling through Your Inner Map – workshop based on the physical work in space on connecting our personal history with collective history. Dijana Milosevic and Maja Mitic, DAH Theater, Belgrade, Serbia.
3:20p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Crossing Creative Frontiers and Crossing Frontiers Creatively
“Amelia. Amelia Earhart’s plane is lost in a time warp.” Performed by W&L German students, directed by Roger Crockett, Washington and Lee University.
4:30 p.m.– 5:30 p.m. Day Out: a Story of a Mother’s Love – Banishing the Idea that Black Poverty and Pain are Merely a Result of Circumstance. Written and directed by Anthonìa Adams, Washington and Lee University. A Black Lives Matter Project.
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. “Where is Home?
A staged reading of “The Virgins of Seville/Las Virgenes de Sevilla” and “Exile is my Home” by Domnica Radulescu. “The Virgins of Seville/Las Virgenes de Sevilla” is directed by Monica Botta, Washington and Lee University, Spanish Translation by Catalina Iliescu Gheorghiu. “Exile Is My Home” is directed by Marcy Arlin.
8:00 p.m. Midnight Conference Banquet
Saturday, March 28
10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Crossing Theatrical, Cultural and Sexual Borders
“Of Interest: A Challenge to Translate Deep Reading to the Stage in “The Merchant of Venice.” Sharon B. Meltzer, Richard Daley College.
“Re-conceptualizing the Erotic in Queer Refugee Performance: Beyond Neoliberal Imaginaries of Desire.” Rachel Lewis, George Mason University.
“Rebellious Bodies : Staging Homoerotic Desire in Luis Velez de Guevara’s ‘La serrana de la Vera.’ Elena Neacsu, University of Virginia.
“Diplomatic Theatrics: Theater and Diplomacy in the Ottoman Empire.” Michele Longino, Duke University.
11:50 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. “Savage Lands.” A staged reading by the author Timothy Ruppert, Slippery Rock University.
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Negotiating Identity and Space
“Double Identidad – ‘Coser Y Cantar’ by Dolores Prida.” Introduction by Florinda Ruiz, Washington and Lee University.
Staged Reading of “Coser Y Cantar” by Florinda Ruiz and Domnica Radulescu, Washington and Lee University. .”
