Aidyn Stevens

Senior Project Advisor

Evan Mueller

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2022

Keywords

Applied Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, Theatre for Living, Community, Art, Performance, Advocacy, Workshop, white supremacy, predominantly white institutions, students, actors, change, transformation, spectator, image theatre, embodiment, movement, theatre

Abstract

This paper is the accumulation of the research and executed facilitation of applied theatre methods with a group of university students. The applied theatre methods of Theatre of the Oppressed and Theatre for Living were used to confront community issues with a group of Western students. Using the definition of white supremacy and white supremacy culture from Laya Saad and Tema Okun, the group explored their individual relationship to these issues through theatre and pushed deeper to understand how it manifested in the community. The experiences of the workshop facilitator and the participants are explored to understand the transformation the group went through to move from spectators to actors in the theatrical phenomenon. Participants' direct action in the theatrical phenomenon was created from embodied practice, games and exercises, storytelling, group discussion, and image theatre.

Department

Theatre & Dance

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

College theater--Study and teaching (Higher)--Washington (State)--Bellingham; Applied theater--Study and teaching (Higher); Theater and society; Race in the theater; White nationalism

Subjects - Names (LCNAF)

Western Washington University

Geographic Coverage

Bellingham (Wash.)

Genre/Form

essays

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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