February 15 2024 I just had a great classroom visit to Emerson College. I was invited by Vijay Matthews whose class was full of a diverse group of students. They were studying dramaturgy, administration, education, performance, directing, and applied theater. I was on a zoom that projected me to a large screen for the classroom.

Howlround Seminar: Topics in Contemporary Theatre Practice

This seminar offers graduate students and senior undergraduate students the opportunity to engage closely with researching and writing on contemporary theatre practices through close engagement with HowlRound Theatre Commons, a knowledge commons that encourages freely sharing intellectual and artistic resources and expertise to amplify progressive, disruptive ideas about the art form and facilitate connection between diverse practitioners. To that end, students explore and familiarize themselves with the values, systems and practices of HowlRound by engaging with it as a database/research tool, a teaching tool, as a meeting place of ideas and peers, and an aspirational home for students’ own interests and developing expertise. Additionally, this seminar provides students with an opportunity to practice writing accessible “public-facing scholarship” geared toward fellow theatre-makers and contemporary practitioners. Prerequisite: PA majors only. Class is cross-listed with an undergraduate section.

Claudia’s Presentation

In my heartfelt reflection, I delved into the interconnected realms of justice, accessibility, pleasure, peer exchange, and liberation that profoundly shape my personal and professional journey. I underscored the pivotal need to center the dismantling of injustice in all practices, emphasizing that neglecting this imperative perpetuates the very conditions we strive to eradicate. Accessibility emerged as a fundamental principle, requiring it to be ingrained in the core design to ensure inclusivity for marginalized communities. The pursuit of justice, I argued, should be a pleasurable experience, challenging the prevailing notion that advocates must endure misery. I advocated for prioritizing rest, reclamation, health, and care within our justice endeavors. Peer exchange, I contended, forms the bedrock of extraordinary stories and flourishing relationships, necessitating diverse and age-inclusive spaces. Envisioning liberation beyond current constraints, I defined supremacy culture as a pervasive barrier encompassing various societal formations. My identity as a Black, disabled, queer producer, performer, artist, educator, and leader deeply informs my commitment to racial justice, intersectionality, and creative activism. I shared insights into my various projects, from racial justice initiatives to digital creative works, highlighting the importance of collective control over production means and intersectional representation. In essence, my narrative reflects a dedicated effort to create transformative spaces and dismantle oppressive structures through creative expression, education, and advocacy.