Location: Chief Dan George Theatre
Moderator: Robin Whittaker (Co-Organizer)
Participants: Jenn Boulay (Co-Organizer), Alan Filewod, Thea Fitz-James, Jess Riley, Shelley Scott
Abstract
This roundtable examines the evolution of the Canadian Association for Theatre Research (CATR) through the perspectives of graduate students then and now. A multigenerational discussion, the roundtable will feature graduate students from each decade. We ask: How has your perception of CATR and its value to you and the discipline changed since you were a grad student? Panelists will reflect on the academic landscape, including research topics, pedagogy, methodologies, career paths, and the broader pressures that have shaped graduate-level theatre and performance studies. The goal of this roundtable is to use these reflections to map the shifts that have occurred across CATR’s five decades and consider how they have shaped the association to date, and explore how this history can inform the next 50 years of CATR. As well as addressing the steps we can take to better support graduate students and the sustainability of graduate studies within the field of theatre and performance studies moving forward.