November 17, 2024
Faculty, graduate students and alumni recently attended the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) Conference, where they received awards, presented on plenary sessions and organized working sessions with fellow scholars nationwide.
The ASTR Conference is an annual conference in which U.S.-based theatre professionals gather to share scholarship and connect with fellow researchers. This year's conference took place in Seattle, Washington on November 14-17, 2024. Presenters included Performance as Public Practice Ph.D. candidates Michael DeWhatley and Khristián Méndez Aguirre, who were two of three graduate students to present in conference-wide plenaries. DeWhatley was invited to present as part of the plenary "The State of the Profession" alongside Dr. Una Chaudhuri (New York University, faculty) and Dámaso Rodriguez (Seattle Repertory Theatre, artistic director). Khristián Méndez Aguirre presented his research, "Mineral and Indigenous Dramaturgies from Las Américas / Abia Yala: resisting extractivism," as part of a plenary with Catherine M. Cole (University of Washington, faculty) and Rishika Mehrishi (University of California at San Diego, faculty). Méndez Aguirre also led a working session with Marlon Jimenez Oviedo (Brown University, Ph.D. candidate) entitled "Decomposing the Performance and Ecology Working Group."
In addition, faculty member Rosemary Candelario was recognized with the Targeted Area Research Grant award, while Dr. Patrick McKelvey (B.A. 2008) received the Brooks McNamara Subvention Award for his book, Disability Works.
Various other alumni and faculty from the Performance as Public Practice area presented during the ASTR Conference. Additional presenters and topics included:
Dr. Charlotte Canning and Dr. Paul Bonin-Rodriguez (faculty), who co-ran a working session with Sarah Wilbur (Duke University, faculty) entitled "Changing Arts Ecologies and Infrastructures."
Enzo Vasquez Toral (faculty), who led a session entitled "Microhistory and Ethnography as Queer Historiography."
Dr. Alexis Riley (Ph.D. 2022), who presented a session entitled "Mad Performance Historiography: Disorienting Methods."
Ashley Malafronte (M.A. 2021), who presented a session entitled "HowlRound Theatre Commons: Documenting Change Through Commoning."
Dr. Christin Essin (Ph.D. 2006), who led a session on "Uniform Resistance and New Ecologies of Women's Competitive Sports."
Dr. Zachary Dorsey (M.A. 2002, Ph.D. 2007), who presented a session entitled "'Let the Wild Rumpus Begin [Again]' –an Ecology of Drag Storytimes."
Dr. Priya Venkatraman (Ph.D. 2022), who led a session about "Reclaiming Indigenious Performance Ecologies of South Asia."
Dr. McKelvey, who co-ran a working session, "Disability Performance Cultures," with Samuel Yates (Pennsylvania State University, faculty).
Dr. Lisa Peschel (M.F.A. 2001), who presented a session entitled "Emotional communities and theatrical performance in the Theresienstadt Ghetto."
Dr. Lindsey Mantoan (M.A. 2009), who co-led a session on "Sustainable Acting in Extremes" with Alexis Black (Michigan State University). She also conducted a plenary with multi-disciplinary artists Annalisa Dias and Madeline Sayet.
Dr. Kristin Leahey (Ph.D. 2012), who led the session "A Time of Change at Oregon Shakespeare Festival".
Dr. Jane Barnette (M.A. 1996, Ph.D. 2003), who presented a session entitled "Waking the Dead: The Dramaturgy of Musical Revival" and co-led the session "Making Institutional Statements" with Dr. Gibson Cima (Northern Illinois University, faculty).
Dr. Chase Bringardner (M.A. 2003, Ph.D. 2007), who led a session entitled "Decoding Denali: Defining Wilderness in the Last Frontier."
Dr. Christina Dennehy (Ph.D. 2013), who presented a session entitled "Masquing Blackness: the Ecology of Adaptation in The Tempest."
Dr. Jenny Kokai (Ph.D. 2008), who presented a session on "Meow Wolf, Immersion, and Booping Time."
Overall, this year's ASTR conference was hugely successful for UT Theatre and Dance alumni, faculty and students, specifically artists from the Performance as Public Practice area. Visit the 2024 ASTR Conference website to see all the artists and scholars who presented at this year’s conference.