Moderator: Ian Garrett
Location: Room 1177 – Pavilion André Aidenstadt – 2920 chemin de la tour – Université de Montréal
(Building 19 on the UdM Map)
In-Person Session
Sponsored by Department of Theatre and Film – University of Winnipeg
Shifts in Agency: The Performative Dynamics of Body-Technology Relations
Observing the proliferation of agentic technology in the theatre, in 2015, Jennifer Parker-Starbuck noted that “all technology is now always-already subject” (67). In this paper, I begin by building on Parker-Starbuck’s taxonomy of cyborg theatre, to note that in the post-pandemic context, the body is now always-already abject. That is to say, the body is now, by default, a virtual, unstable, or even absent body—something between object and subject. Using Parker-Starbuck’s vocabulary, I combine insights from Martina Leeker and Maurya Wickstrom to develop a theoretical framework that highlights the moment-to-moment interplay between bodies and technologies on stage. Agency of different types is assigned by and between human bodies and technologies, through linguistic and technological performatives, on a moment-to-moment basis, and these shifts are enmeshed in the process of commodification.
Tyler Graham, York University
Tyler Graham is a Ph. D. student and theatre artist at York University whose work occurs at the intersection of dialectical theatre and intermedial performance. Much of his artistic work has revolved around online “cyber theatre” and virtual reality performance. He presented at VRTO with VR performance artist Ari Tarr.
Redressing Inequities: Who Is Responsible?
Over the last year and a half, we have created an open-source textbook entitled “The Business of Theatre: Pathways to a Career in Theatre”. It includes interviews with theatre professionals, article contributions, and an extensive list of resources. In the final stages of editing, recent theatre graduates, who could best speak to the books efficacy for theatre students, reviewed and provided feedback.
The response was surprising and in some cases it was a deeply emotional. Many speaking about the weight on their shoulders to fix the unjust theatre industry. Much discussion had occurred during the preparation of the book around preparing students for the current industry, as well as the changing industry, and the wished for equitable and just future industry. Developing critical thought in students so that they can assess for themselves what is or is not working, question the status quo, and be change-makers seemed like the solution.
This paper will present information on the final book creation, which includes various perspectives around justice and how the theatre milieu is continuing to engage in injustice. In addition, we will explore the response to the question of shared responsibility for redressing inequities. How do we respond to recent shifts and overdue calls for change while working in solidarity across generations? In particular, how do we manage the mess emerging practitioners feel they now have to fix. How can the change work done to date be recognized by the next generation and built upon? How does this change what and how we teach?
Hope McIntyre & Carolin Schroeder, University of Winnipeg
Hope McIntyre is an award winning playwright/director and Associate Professor at the University of Winnipeg. She has a BFA in performance and an MFA in directing. After completing an apprenticeship in England, she worked for a commercial producer and managed an arts school in Toronto. She was Artistic Director of Sarasvàti Productions for 22 years.
Carolin Schroeder is an emerging Stage Manager and Theatre Maker. Born and raised in Germany, Carolin has been calling Canada home since 2017. After gaining work experience as arts administrator and production coordinator, she enrolled at the University of Winnipeg. Carolin is currently completing a BA Honours degree in Production & Stage Management.
Performing Cultural and Religious Justice through the Transformational Directorial Approach: Juxtaposing the Playtext and the Performance of “Attahiru”
This study examines the way justice is performed on stage using the Transformational Directorial Approach. Attahiru is a historical play which recounts the story of Attahiru, the then Caliph of the Sokoto caliphate; it tells the story of his rejection of the Whiteman’s culture and how he was eventually killed. In theatre scholarship, studies have been conducted which have given birth to the many approaches to directing in the Nigerian theatre. However, most of these studies focus on film directors; as such, little attention is paid to the role of student directors and the influence of the environment in their directorial approach. This study examines the influence of place and environment in performing cultural and religious justice using the transformational directorial approach. It aims to explore the performance of Ahmed Yerima’s Attahiru (2023) in order to draw a comparison between the text and the performance in relation to the explication of cultural and religious justice. To achieve this aim, textual analysis is used by combining its important approaches: author-oriented approach and performance-oriented approach. The Post-dramatic theatre will be used to investigate the post-colonial resistance captured in the play, focusing on how the image of cultural and religious justice is constructed and reconstructed through performance.
Ihouma Okorie, Bayero University Kano
Ihuoma Okorie is a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Ihuoma has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Theatre and Performing Arts. As a major in textual and performance analysis, she has published works in reputable journals and has attended several conferences which speaks to this area of interest.