Amplify & Ignite: Creative Practice in and With Communities

Black women educators inspire this workshop. In Progressive Dystopia, Dr. Savannah Shange, moves out of her way when writing to ensure Black children SHINE, despite the violence of schooling upheld by adults and community. She has a way of painting a visual of their brilliance. Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Dr. Lisa Delpit reminded me during "play time", at a Sisters In Education Circle retreat, that hand clapping and oral rhymes are a Black tradition that we must keep alive in honor of Black children. All of them inspire me, as a theatre teacher, to create a workshop that celebrates what can be viewed as the grotesque, but is ACTUALLY THE BEAUTY OF BLACK YOUTH. From the way they look, the ways they move and dress, and sound…I love Black youth in all their fullness. We’ll celebrate Black youth, who are the creators and innovators of Black culture and world culture, and who are constantly stolen from and poorly replicated. We will design grills made of play dough, magazines, blocks, and all types of unconventional materials, create hand claps about Blackness, and discuss how folks can show up for and with Black youth in spaces that feel authentic. We’ll also talk about how to be in conversation WITH them about anti-Blackness and white supremacy delusion and how to continue or start the journey of releasing that from oneself. Most importantly, we will discuss how Black children show us time and time again how to be in joy, resistance, and our humanity.

Hearing Our History: The Sonic of Historic Sonic Happenings

The Society of Historic Sonic Happenings
Presenter: Adrienne Kapstein

This presentation will profile The Society of Historic Sonic Happenings (SHSH): an immersive, participatory performance and sound art project about the hidden histories of our surroundings. At its core, SHSH is a playful invitation for deep listening, inspiring curiosity for what came before us. The work occurs in partnership with the communities it seeks to serve, engaging audiences of all ages and abilities in thought-provoking dialogues and workshops that occur in situ before the work is presented. We are guided by the question: how can a radically inclusive understanding of a local community’s past help it unite and imagine its future?

The Search For Signs Of Meaningful Inclusion Of Disabled Students In The Public High School  Theater Universe
Presenter: Marianne Pillsbury

This paper seeks to illuminate qualitative research conducted on intentionally including disabled students, identified for special education services, in a public high school theater context. The findings are based on the experiences of a theater educator, artist, and scholar running a "unified theater" program where students with and without disabilities come together to create and present an original devised play. The author dramatizes what "meaningful inclusion" of students with disabilities (particularly autism, ADHD, and anxiety) looks, sounds and feels like by creatively interpreting field log observations and participant interviews in the form of an ethnotheatre-inspired play referencing popular theatre forms including musical theater.

Reimagining Technique: Teaching Theatre Skills in a Changing World
Nigel Semaj
 As we face an uncertain world marked by divisions and transformations, theatre education holds immense potential to bridge gaps, foster connections, and amplify community wisdom. Yet, we find ourselves at a crossroads: How do we teach foundational acting, movement, and voice techniques in ways that resonate with today's learners while staying attuned to the urgent social and cultural concerns of our time? This session invites theatre educators, artists, and scholars to collectively imagine new approaches to teaching theatre skills that are experiential, embodied, and rooted in the realities of our students' lives. How might our classrooms whether on campus, in community centers, or other shared spaces serve as places where techniques are not only learned but also practiced as tools for connection, reflection, and change? How do we engage Gen Z learners, who crave immediacy, application, and purpose, while nurturing their artistry and critical awareness? Through facilitated dialogue and collaborative inquiry, we will explore how reimagining the ways we teach and assess technique can better reflect the cultural brilliance found in classrooms, schoolyards, kitchens, and street corners. Together, we will grapple with questions about the role of performing arts education in movements for justice, equity, and community-building. This session is not about presenting answers but about sharing questions, reflecting on challenges, and envisioning possibilities. How can our pedagogical practices foster artistry that both honors tradition and amplifies contemporary concerns? What can we learn from the beautiful failures and inspiring successes in our work as we adapt to meet the needs of this generation and the communities we serve?

Data Theatre is a novel practice co-designed over the past two years by a multidisciplinary team at Northeastern University in collaboration with community groups in the Boston area. Our Civic Data Theatre process re-imagines what community meetings and data-informed democracies can include. In our process, community stakeholders collaborate with trained participatory theatre artists to examine, interpret, and create new information about a pressing local issue. Together, they translate quantitative data–a central language of government decision making–to stories, movements, feelings, and experiences that can be collectively examined by a broadly constituted group of community stakeholders. Read more about the project at https://camd.northeastern.edu/the-data-theatre-collaborative/.

(Re)Turning to Storytelling
Presenter: Alex Ates

The COVID-19 shutdowns, the violent political conditions in the United States, the corporate manipulation of social media, and the rapid rise of AI necessitate a return to the basics of theater pedagogy storytelling. In 2022, I introduced a new course, Storytelling and Performance, at Westtown School, where I was the director of the arts. The course was an introductory course to the grades 9-12 Theater program, designed to intrigue and attract students who might not typically foresee themselves taking an introductory theater course. It worked. Sixty percent of the students who enrolled in the course had never taken a Theater course or participated in a production. After a series of intimate, in-class "slams" (performances) of their stories, students compellingly performed themed stories for the enraptured school body. Performances were audio-recorded and evolved into an intentionally-produced podcast. Storytelling and Performance focused on the simple, innate human need and ability to share compelling stories that impact life experiences despite the "slings and arrows" of dehumanizing modernity.

Using Theatre Practices to Manage InfoWhelm
Presenters: Milly Schmid + Jackie Agliata
In the Spring of 2024, Jackie and Milly co-presented a six-session-long artist-in-residence program using exercises from Newspaper Theater to investigate media coverage of Climate Change and Climate Justice with 11th and 12th grade International Baccalaureate theater students at Snowden International School at Copley in Boston, MA. In this workshop, Jackie and Milly will highlight the moments of success and emerging tensions in developing the curriculum for the project and then lead symposium  participants through an embodied, Newspaper Theater-inspired devising activity. Session participants will unpack and reflect on the devised work and brainstorm applications to their own education or community context. Participants will receive a residency map and example exercises to explore media literacy with youth.

The Weathering Project: A Sensory Theatre Workshop for Connection and Inclusion
Presenter: Kaitlin Jaskolski

Step into a world where the senses reign, and connection takes center stage. The Weathering Project is a sensory theatre workshop designed to create immersive, inclusive experiences for diverse audiences particularly those often left out of traditional arts spaces. Just as weather can shift in an instant, this workshop invites participants to explore the fluid, dynamic nature of sensory theatre, where touch, sound, movement, and visuals combine to spark new forms of creative expression. In this workshop, we'll harness the elements of sensory engagement to foster connection over perfection. Participants will explore how sensory stimuli can be used to break down barriers, build bridges, and celebrate the beauty of shared experience. Together, we'll weather the storm of uncertainty, embracing the unpredictable and playful nature of inclusive performance. By focusing on creating experiences that prioritize connection between participants, their careers, artists, and teachers, we'll uncover how sensory theatre can encourage deeper, more meaningful collaboration. This workshop will also explore how these "weathered" experiences born from collaboration and sensory play can lead to transformative change in performance, community building, and education. Just as the weather can be unpredictable, the connections made in sensory theatre can surprise and inspire, creating powerful, lasting memories of shared creative moments. Participants will explore together new ways to amplify voices, celebrate diversity, and weather the elements of inclusion together.

Please make sure to add this session to your schedule if you intend to attend.

Communities of practice in drama education have been explored by Anderson & Freebody as sites that emphasize "the importance of integrating theory and practice to support the development of beginning teachers" (2012, p. 359). Professional organizations like the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, and the Educational Theatre Association (EDTA) consider their annual gatherings as a locus of professional development and networking, but in their relative infrequency, they provide only limited access to the potentiality of a true community of practice. So, drama educators often find themselves a department of one, set adrift to do whatever it is they do in the classroom without the benefit of a community of peers who can understand and support them in their work. They lack a true community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002; Wenger-Trayner, Fenton-O'Creevy, Hutchinson, Kubiak, & Wenger-Trayner, 2014; Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015; Wenger, 2020; and Tummons, 2022).

Through this workshop experience, drama educators will develop a community of practice through the implementation of a case narrative project, based on a format outlined by Norris, McCammon, & Miller in their text, Learning to Teach Drama: A Case Narrative Approach (2000). The main intent of the case narrative is to serve as a tool to assist the educator in better understanding their teaching practice and should be drawn from their own experience, offering the educator an opportunity to reflect on and examine a problem, dilemma, or crisis, or frame a new perspective that has occurred in their practice.

This workshop will move us through phases one and two of a three-phase process. In the session, participants will outline their own case narrative, share the outline with two peers, and then get formal feedback from each peer using a response protocol outlined in Norris, McCammon, & Miller's text in which they describe, analyze, and apply (2000, pp. 111-112). [paragraph break]1 - Describe: Read the assigned case narrative. Set a timer for five minutes and write a continuous response without censoring yourself to what you have read.2 -Analyze: Review what you wrote. Respond by uncovering the issues in the original narrative and make connections to educational theory and the teaching of drama.3 -Apply: Review both the initial writing (describe) and your initial analysis. Write concretely what the teacher might do to extend these ideas into practice. This writing could be in the form of a lesson plan, a list of teacher activities, or a general set of statements on the teacher's stance. Application is the goal, so you need to provide the teacher with actionable recommendations grounded in your teaching experience and what you know from research or literature. [paragraph break]In this way, each participant will receive actionable recommendations (interventions) from two peers. This initial workshop will be followed in one month's time with a Zoom check-in where each participant can report back about the intervention(s) they implemented and consider next steps.

Migration From. Migration Through. Migration To. Migration Back. This workshop will explore how applied theatre can be used to deepen learning around these themes of migration. The session draws on our experience developing and co-teaching a first-year college course at CUNY John Jay College called “Voices of Migration: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Global Movement.” Through embodied, on-your-feet learning, we will share best practices for how college classrooms can center student voices, familial histories, and cultural knowledge throughout the learning process. Throughout the session, we will guide participants in a series of applied theatre games and activities that can be used to explore key themes and questions related to migration and immigration. Together, we will practice creating lines of questioning that lead to deep conversation about those core class concepts. Participants can use these practices to explore the ever-more-important topics of migration and immigration in their classrooms and communities or apply them to other challenging topics. Whatever the case, this workshop will equip attendees with a set of concrete tools and strategies that can be used with young people and adults, in and out of school settings.

A Girl Can Only Watch Fiddler on The Roof So Many Times
Presenter: Blair Bean
In a world marked by division and uncertainty, the role of artists, educators, and scholars in fostering community, connection, and change has never been more critical. This presentation is based off of my thesis that explores the intersection of Jewish identity, cultural storytelling, and theatre as tools for addressing contemporary societal issues, particularly the rise of antisemitism. As an assimilated Jew, I delve into the complexities of Jewish-American narratives in theatre, using autoethnography to examine my own evolving relationship with Jewish identity in the context of modern challenges. Diving deep into the idea of catharsis in communities and synthesizing widespread narratives. I look into Jewish immigration and generational trauma as the drive for this paper. I reflect on how these themes have shaped seminal works like well known Fiddler on the Roof among others and its relevance in today's cultural climate. I have explored the delicate balance between honoring painful histories and celebrating Jewish joy in performance, while questioning how these stories are adapted, interpreted, and portrayed for diverse audiences. As theatre is a source of cultural resilience and creative expression, this project is a personal and collective exploration of how Jewish storytelling can evolve. How do we bridge generational divides, and contribute to larger dialogues around social justice, identity, and cultural preservation? Examining the intersection of, Jewish heritage, and artistic practice, I aim to highlight the power of theatre to amplify voices, challenge preconceptions, and create space for meaningful conversation educational spaces during a time heightened division.


Beyond Belonging: Navigating Marginalization in Theatre Education
Sobha Kavanakudiyil
I would like to have the opportunity to share my research for my dissertation.  In the proposed research, I will examine stories of female-identifying performing arts practitioners from ethnically and racially minoritized populations. The impetus for this has been reflection on my experiences as a South Asian Indian woman in theatre education, and the lack of other South Asian Indian women in the field.  This has impacted my sense of belonging and my identity.  I  am interested in examining the moment of decision-making to continue a career in the performing arts or not and how cultural, social, and familial influences impact that decision. The hope is that the outcome of this research will illuminate the challenges many practitioners have experienced to help theatre teacher training programs better understand the barriers that exist for these populations to engage in the field.   Although my research centers on female-identifying artist educators from ethnically and racially minoritized populations, I acknowledge that many minoritized populations need to be uplifted. The research focus of this paper represents just one aspect of a broader dialogue on diversity and inclusion in the arts.My research questions are: What are the pivotal social, cultural, and familial experiences of female-identifying South Asian artist educators in theatre education?What personal and/or professional experiences have shaped the identities of female-identifying performing arts practitioners from ethnically and racially minoritized populations, and what has been the impact of their professional journeys?What are theatre education programs doing to increase access and opportunity for practitioners from ethnically and racially minoritized populations?


Work/Play
Presenters: Sara Berliner + Calvin Keener
"Work/Play" was a workshop series conducted in the Spring of 2024 at Emerson College focusing on using demechanizing exercises from Theatre of the Oppressed to identify challenges and opportunities for transformation in higher education workplaces. The workshops aimed to engage students, staff, and faculty in a collaborative artistic process to reclaim our collective humanity. While there had been robust union activity in the school year, these disparate groups do not consistently organize cooperatively together or share a vision for campus working conditions and labor organizing. While many undergraduate and graduate students are employed by the college in various capacities, they tend not to see being a worker as a salient part of their identity, nor do they typically identify with a larger labor movement, due to the temporary, part-time nature of their work and transitory relationship to campus. We hoped to enable participants to make connections with other workers at Emerson, to recognize commonalities between their needs and experiences, and to identify tools for changing conditions in the workplace.In this narrative, we will reflect on the challenges, discoveries, and lessons learned in using artistic techniques for labor organizing with participants who have a common employer but differing work identities.