The Villanova Department of Theatre and Studio Art Presents Three Dynamic Academic Conferences
Villanova, Pa. – The Department of Theatre and Studio Art in Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences hosts three engaging events in April and May 2024, highlighting rich scholarship from faculty and students. These symposiums, spanning topics from Renaissance theatre to contemporary Irish performance, emphasize the department’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, with integrations between the fields of theatre, English and Irish studies.
The Spanish Tragedy Symposium
April 19-20 | The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, Villanova University
Throughout the 2023 – 24 academic year, Villanova University faculty Chelsea Phillips, MFA, PhD, Theatre, and Alice Dailey, PhD, English, explore Thomas Kyd’s seminal Renaissance revenge play, The Spanish Tragedy (1582) through a scholarly lens. The innovative endeavor began with a new course offering, Legacies of Revenge, in fall 2023 and extends into the spring semester with the production of The Spanish Tragedy with actor and English scholar James Keegan, PhD, University of Delaware, and a corresponding academic symposium.
The symposium, sponsored by Villanova University’s Department of Theatre and Studio Art, Department of English, Honors Program, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Office of the President, seeks to enhance our comprehension of the play's significance in present-day discussions on revenge narratives. Featuring keynote addresses by Richard Preiss, PhD, University of Utah, and Andrea Stevens, PhD, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, the symposium offers facilitated discussions about the project, student spinoff performances, access to a grant-funded web archive of production and teaching resources, and a festive reception.
To learn more about the symposium and the full schedule, please visit the registration page.
Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium
May 3 | The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, Villanova University
The 18th annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium (PTRS) brings together internationally renowned artists, theatre scholars and students for a day of energizing dialogue about current trends in theatrical practice and scholarship. The theme of the 2024 conference is “Theatre as Catalyst for Liberation: Creativity Within Constraints,” prompting attendees to consider how theatre and non-traditional storytelling practices are related to freedom. Emerging theatre scholars will present on subjects such as teaching methods for liberation, liberatory theatre making, and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility models. National Black Theatre’s (NBT) Chief Executive Officer, Sade Lythcott, and Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan McCrory, will explore these topics in their keynote address and workshop, “Holistic Producing: Decolonizing the Western Frame.” NBT is the longest-running Black theatre in New York City and aims to produce transformational theatre that helps shift inaccuracies around African Americans’ cultural identity and educate audiences on current social issues.
The event is free and open to the public. Please visit the registration page for more details.
International Irish Theatre Symposium
May 24-25 | The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, Villanova University
Founded by Irish Augustinians in 1842, Villanova University has a rich history of Irish scholarship and is proud to welcome the Irish Society Theatre of Research for the first International Irish Theatre Symposium (ISTR) hosted in the United States. Organized by the Rev. David Cregan, OSA, PhD, associate dean of Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at Villanova’s College of Professional Studies, and associate professor, Theatre, the ISTR 2024 invites scholars and artists from diverse disciplines to explore the theme of “New Horizons: Race and Performance” through discussions on race and identity in Irish culture and representation. Topics include post-colonial narrative evolution, stories of oppression and their limitations of realism in artistic expression, and the presence of discrimination in Irish theatre. Holding the event in the US offers attendees a unique opportunity to examine the intersection of global identities, a widespread theme throughout the nation, and consider new ideas for progressing diversity and inclusion in Irish theatre. Keynote speakers include Pulitzer Prize winner and Villanova Associate Professor of Theatre James Ijames, MFA, and theatre maker and scholar Justine Nakase, PhD.
For more information on the conference, please view the registration page.
About Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the Villanova learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.