•Participants: Jonathan Seinen, Taiwo Afolabi, Shannon Holmes, Wes Pearce, and Andrew Manera
This roundtable will present current research within the Department of Theatre, offered as a welcome to those joining us in our city and on our campus to learn more about our ongoing work. We will feature contributions from faculty and staff, demonstrating the diversity of research activities, including: Instructor Andrew Manera on current Departmental efforts to build a bridge for graduating students as they navigate the ‘liminal’ space between training and the professional; Associate Professor Shannon Holmes on how social media can play a role in accessing voice training in order to develop and maintain a body-based vocal practice, via her burgeoning online presence on Instagram (@dr.shannonholmes); Associate Professor Taiwo Afolabi offering a review of the work of the Future Prairie Theatre initiative, and its offerings for the potentials for theatre in our region, including the latest from the C-SET (Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre); Professor Wes Pearce considers innovations in teaching and practicing devised theatre creation, and how the liminal space keeps changing and, in some way, re-defining itself, and; Assistant Professor Jonathan Seinen reflects upon contemporary new playscript development in Saskatchewan through commissioning three playwrights by his company Architect Theatre since arriving in 2022. In presenting this work, we are excited to expose conference attendees to the rich variety of research pursuits in our Department at this moment of reimagining our programs, our community connections, and our responsibilities to the prairie theatre and performance.
Biographies
Jonathan Seinen
Jonathan Seinen is a theatre director, actor, and creator. Directing credits: Boys In Chairs Collective’s Access Me (Dora Award for Direction), Iphigenia and the Furies by Jeff Ho (Theatre Passe Muraille), and Saga Collectif’s Black Boys (Buddies). Jonathan was awarded the 2020 John Hirsch Prize from the Canada Council, and is Assistant Professor at the University of Regina.
Taiwo Afolabi
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi is an interdisciplinary artistic scholar from Africa with internationally recognized expertise in research-based theatre focusing on social justice, human rights, and anti-racism education among Indigenous, immigrant, and marginalized communities. Through global theatre projects/publications, his practice-based research encompasses issues of policing, sexual health education, Sustainable Development Goals, African theatre, homelessness, immigration, and language revitalization. He is the Director of the Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre (C-SET) and is the Canada Research Chair in Socially Engaged Theatre (Tier II).
Shannon Holmes
Dr. Shannon Holmes is an Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Regina. As a practitioner, pedagogue and performer her work employs autoethnographic performance practices as a method to free vocal expression. She is co-lead researcher of The Voice Mapping Lab, where along with her research partner, Dr. Melissa Morgan, they are developing accessible interdisciplinary approaches to voice training. Their Open Educational Resource is forthcoming (Fall 2025).
Wes Pearce
Wes D Pearce has spent most of his life being inspired by the landscapes and skyscapes of Treaty 4 territory and as a settler has been fortunate to be able to work, create, play and live on these contested lands. He holds a BA and a BFA (Distinction) from the University of Regina and an MFA (Theatre Design) from the University of Calgary. As a member of the Theatre Department he has taught a wide variety of courses in theatre design/scenography, Canadian drama, and Queer theatre and has taught various courses in pop culture (including Hollywood and Fashion) for the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance.
Andrew Manera
Andrew Manera is an Instructor in the Theatre Department in the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance where he teaches technical production and stage management. A respected and highly sought-after arts administrator with over fifteen years of senior management experience in the cultural sector, Andrew is a passionate, devoted, and outspoken supporter of emerging artists, community engaged artistic practices, and independently run non-profits. He remains an in-demand consultant, collaborator, and mentor in production management, technical design, and theatre craft.
