I am curating a concurrent session Silenced Theatre Histories: Global Insights into Theatre, Colonialism and Race at the 2024 ATHE Conference.
The Conference will take place at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, from Thursday – Sunday, August 1-4, 2024.
Together with Emily Sahakian (University of Georgia) and Sarah Adams (Utrecht University) we imagine the session as a roundtable which sheds light on colonial influences and repercussions for the theatrical landscape by showcasing theatre histories which have been “silenced” (Michel-Rolph Trouillot) either in local and/or international contexts. Our session transcends geographical boundaries, weaving together narratives from Polish nineteenth-century racial representations, Caribbean culture of performance, or modern Dutch blackface thus encouraging a critical examination of theatre’s colonial entanglements in a global perspective and contributing to the broader and more inclusive understanding of this complex issue.
We are particularly interested in stimulating discussion on researching race and performance within silenced and obfuscated historical repertoires by drawing inspiration from such scholars as Michel-Rolph Trouillot, Diana Taylor, Noémie Ndiaye, and Christina Sharpe and by prioritizing performance as episteme. Our aim is to unveil the ways in which the legacies of the colonial era continue to influence present-day racial imaginings and performances in various, not necessarily obvious, locations, hoping that acknowledging the past will enable us to write a better future.
We would love to invite more speakers, but as our session will not be open to the second round of submissions to the ATHE conference, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and submit your proposal directly to me.
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