Fw: Message from Bruce McConachie and Harry Elam

[Denis.Salter]

Dear Colleagues,

I find these thoughts (below) instructive.  In what ways does what happened in the U.S. affect Canadian (theatre) scholarship and pedagogy?  Is this an issue that we might wish to take up at ACTR 2002 in Toronto?

Denis.

(Apologies for any cross listings.)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Don B. Wilmeth 
To: ASTR-L at listserv.uiuc.edu 
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 11:11 AM
Subject: Message from Bruce McConachie and Harry Elam


Dear ASTR Colleagues --                           Oct. 1

First, you should know that, to the best of our knowledge, none of our
colleagues in the New York City area was physically hurt or killed in the
recent terrorist attacks. Our colleagues at the major universities in NYC
report that they have heard of no ASTR members lost in the calamity. Of
course this is small relief given the immensity of the tragedy, but it is
something to be thankful for. Several of our NYC colleagues also asked
that we thank ASTR members from around the world who have helped with the
relief efforts.

September 11 has altered the immediate context in which we, as theatre
scholars, must continue to do our work. In the long term, of course,
these tragic events will likely change the methods and questions that
constitute our scholarship. As is already occurring in many other
institutions of North America, the nature and purpose of the American
Society for Theatre Research will likely be tested and altered in the
next few years. All of these factors make our upcoming conference in San
Diego more important than our yearly gatherings usually are.

Many of the traditional functions served by academic conferences gain
added significance in the wake of September 11. First and foremost,
academic conferences, like all large social gatherings, reaffirm the
importance of community in our lives. The social ties that we have formed
with each other over the years or, for newer members, that are just
beginning to shape our lives, need the interaction of a conference to be
sustained. Good academic conferences are also an intellectual shot in the
arm; the "high" we get from our conference exchanges gives us
some relief from the lonely hours we know we'll spend staring at a
computer screen. Oftentimes our conference friends provide the imagined
reading audience whose questions and orientations push our writing to the
next level. Finally, conferences allow us to recognize and celebrate
excellence in our field. The applause that greets the winners of ASTR
awards and fellowships warms us all and reaffirms the importance of our
work.

Amid the many responses to the tragedy of September 11, the one that
seems most relevant to us as members of ASTR is that, despite our
anguish, rage, and emptiness, we must not forget who we are. We're not
writing this letter to urge a return to "normalcy," although
conference-going has indeed been a part of "normal" experience for many
of us over the years. Instead, we're urging attendance at this conference
because we need to remind ourselves that our scholarly  values, methods,
and commitments can make a difference in these difficult times.

As we write this letter, the Conference Committee for 2001 is
discussing specific ways for us to address the implications of
September 11 for our teaching and scholarship in San Diego.  One
likely possibility is a "brown-bag" roundtable discussion during the
lunch break on Friday.  We expect that this added session will
initiate a conversation that will continue, both directly and
indirectly, in subsequent sessions, seminars, and receptions during
the conference.

We have extended the deadline for early registration for the conference until
October 15th. We also note that airfares for travel this fall have remained
relatively low. In addition, increased security measures for air
transportation have been announced by the federal government and
should be in place by the time of our conference.

We look forward to seeing you in San Diego.


Sincerely,

Bruce McConachie, President of ASTR
Harry Elam, Conference Chair and VP of ASTR


Don B. Wilmeth
Dept. of Theatre, Speech & Dance
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
401/863-3289
Fax: 863/7529
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