Applied Theatre

Michael Rohd shares an edited version of a recent talk he gave at the Clarke Forum, Dickinson College, on the role of art and artists today.

Teresa Coleman Wash reflects on how the current state of affairs has fueled an urgency to interrogate all systems of oppression and argues that it’s past time to stop holding Eurocentric theatres up as the pinnacle of success.

Amelia Parenteau discusses the Actions Caribéennes Théâtrales festival, which brought together francophones, francophiles, and theatre folks from around the world to witness staged readings of six French Caribbean plays in English translation. / Amelia Parenteau parle du festival Actions Caribéennes Théâtrales (ACT), qui a rassemblé des francophones, francophiles et gens de théâtre de partout dans le monde pour assister aux lectures publiques de six pièces franco-caribéennes traduites en anglais.

Isaac Mafuel talks about Malawi’s most prevalent form of theatre, its history, and its impact and challenges.

Jan Cohen-Cruz looks at how collaborative art-making can help bridge the divide between groups of people with different identities.

Zoë Svendsen discusses working with fellow theatremakers to build and present imagined realities of London and Oslo in post-capitalist and post-fossil-fuel cultures.

Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez, part of the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, talk about artivism—what it means, what it can look like—in relation to building a jazz opera with various communities around the world.

Jordan Schwartz discusses gentrification in developing neighborhoods, how artists moving in need to work with the existing communities, and what kind of change that can bring about.

Several months after Pittsburgh’s Quantam Theatre programmed The Gun Show, there was a mass shooting at a synagogue in the city. TJ Parker discusses how the company responded to the crisis, both through the play and through community engagement.

Members of the Detroit-based artist collective Complex Movements discuss the connection between technology, performance, and social justice community organizing.

Farai Mabeza offers an overview of theatre in Zimbabwe, from the major theatre in the capital city, to smaller community theatres, to the country’s festivals.

Anne Hamburger, founder of En Garde Arts, talks about the beginnings of her company, and, with it, the beginnings of site-specific theatre in New York City.

Tita Anntares examines different ways of building empathy in audiences through two recent plays, The Courtroom and To My Unborn Child, and a panel discussion hosted by the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Carolyn Reeves looks at multiple barriers to climate change engagement and addresses how the performing arts—and especially theatre—can help overcome them.

Lucy Latham talks about the work London-based organization Julie’s Bicycle is doing in encouraging the creative community to act on climate change and environmental sustainability.

Goran Tomka looks at how arts and culture organizations can best engage with their communities.

Nan van Houte expresses a desire for funding bodies to take their responsibility and support cultural democracy without compromising the existing subsidies for the arts.

Lyn Gardner, theatre critic for the Guardian, looks at how several British theatre companies are redefining their mission and expanding in ways to be of greater benefit to their communities.

Mariela Lopez looks at the importance of prison theatre in Mexico: the quality of work, its impact on inmates, and how the public can support. / Mariela Lopez analiza la importancia del teatro carcelario en México: la calidad de las obras, su impacto en los internos, y cómo el público puede apoyar.

verity healey looks at how refugees in Paris are using theatre to create connections, break down barriers, and find community.