ATHE 2012: Theory and Criticism "Criticism as Activism" call for paper abstracts and session proposals

[Susanne Shawyer]

Dear Colleagues,

Please forgive cross-postings.

Thanks,

Susanne

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*Call for Abstracts and Proposals: Theory and Criticism Focus Group of the
Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), 2012 conference*

*Washington, DC, August 2-5, 2012*



I.                   Theory & Criticism 6th Annual Roundtable Series
(individual paper abstracts)

II.                Session Proposals (Theory & Criticism or
Multidisciplinary focus)



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*I. **"Criticism as Activism**” – An Interactive Roundtable Event*

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*In response to the 2012 ATHE conference theme of “Performance As/Is Civic
Engagement: Advocate, Collaborate, Educate,” the Theory and Criticism Focus
Group desires to create a series of roundtables that takes up the notion of
Criticism as Activism. Tertullian, the French Academy, Zola, Brecht, Boal,
Butler, Dolan, and . . . you!***

* *

Theatre is a cultural product, revealing who we think we are in a historic
moment, and who we might want to be in the future. Theatre, like all art,
engages with the political. It responds to, comments on, and shapes how we
see the world and how we imagine the future. In propaganda performance, for
example, the politics are overt. But often the politics of a piece of
performance or work of criticism lies in unquestioned assumptions about how
the world works. In the past, some critics scorned actors for their lowly
social status, or resented their spectacular performances that pulled people
away from more sober, and often religious, pursuits. Some monarchs embraced
performance as a political tool, one that could be employed to bolster
support or crush dissent. Critics have culled from Shakespeare evidence of
Romantic sensibility, of racial bigotry, of queer subversion. As artists and
pedagogues, we engage with the political each time we create a performance,
or teach a script. As scholars and critics, we take up politics when we take
up our pen. Our art, our voices, our writing, matters because it expresses
who we are right now, and who we wish to be in the future.



Inspired by the ATHE 2012 conference theme, the Theory and Criticism Focus
Group (T&C) responds to the challenge of considering performance as civic
engagement with a roundtable series that encourages participants and
audiences to explore the notion of *Criticism as Activism*.

We aim to create a series of panels where scholars, teachers, and
practitioners can investigate, challenge, re-imagine, and explode how*
historical
or contemporary theorists and critics have used dramatic and/or performance
criticism to intervene in social and political debates. How does performance
criticism empower voices, on stage and off? What can we learn from critical
attempts to engage with publics and counterpublics? How do we theorize and
apply historical criticism that supports diverging ideological viewpoints?
What can theatre and performance criticism offer to contemporary debates in
the field about new media or academic publishing? How are critics activists?
What is activist criticism? What does criticism mean today? ***



 T&C seeks submissions from theatre artists, pedagogues, scholars,
activists, and critics interested in exploring these questions specifically
or the notion of *Criticism as Activism* in general. Building on the
tradition of our previous panel series, we strive to include a diverse range
of participants from graduate students and emerging scholars, to
professional critics, established artists, and senior scholars. For the 2012
ATHE conference, we will host a series of roundtable discussions, with each
participant presenting a position statement or paper of up to 8 pages, which
take up questions of *Criticism as Activism* from a wide range of starting
points, including but not limited to:



   1. ***How has theatre or performance criticism engaged with individual
   artists or performing companies, or empowered specific social groups?  How
   does performance criticism empower voices, on stage and off? What ethical
   questions surround the critical relationship? How can theatre and
   performance scholarship be sensitive to critical ethics?***
   2. * **How has theatre or performance criticism engaged with notions of
   nationalism and the nation state? In what ways have activist critics
   challenged or reified national ideologies, transnational identities, or
   diasporic imaginaries?  ***
   3. ***How has the changing media landscape supported or resisted the
   creation of the celebrity critic, that star author who wields great power?
   What historiographical strategies encourage or transcend the narrative of
   the celebrity critic?  *
   4. ***H******ow have fields or schools of criticism shaped theatre and
   performance historiography? How do specific schools of criticism consider
   and frame the notion of activism? How do we theorize and apply historical
   criticism that supports diverging ideological viewpoints**? ***
   5. ***How does theatre or performance criticism engage with its
   relationship to the media in an activist way? How has the changing academic
   landscape supported or resisted activist criticism? ***
   6. ***What can we learn from critical attempts to engage with publics and
   counterpublics? How are critics activists? What is activist criticism? What
   does criticism mean today? ***



*T&C will be accepting individual, 250 word abstracts for position
statements or papers for this roundtable series until: Monday, October 24th,
2011.  At that point T & C will group these papers into a panel series and
seek out respondents.  Participants will be informed of their acceptance by
Thursday, October 27th, and T&C will oversee the submission of the series
panels through ATHE’s online proposal process. Send your paper abstracts to
cab0023 at auburn.edu*.

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*II. Complete session proposals*

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We also seek complete session proposals as well for the 2012 conference that
include a broad range of theoretical interrogations and applications. We
encourage multidisciplinary dialogues across the fields of performance
scholarship and seek participants from a variety of focus group
affiliations. Note that all multidisciplinary proposals must be authorized
by *three sponsoring ATHE focus groups*; please contact the appropriate
focus group conference planners and or committee chair for authorization.
For a list of the ATHE focus group conference planners visit
http://www.athe.org/getinvolved/focusgroups/index and click on the desired
focus group.

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*The Theory and Criticism Focus Group supports broad definitions of
criticism and performance, and therefore encourages a wide range of examples
and topics. Feel free to explore both historical and contemporary critics
and theorists, in popular culture and academic scholarship. Panel proposals
that engage scholarly conversation in creative ways are highly encouraged.**
*

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*Complete session proposals* (separate from the roundtable series) should be
submitted directly to ATHE: www.athe.org  All participants must be included
in these proposals.  The website includes submission information and
forms.  The session proposal deadline is *November 1st, 2011.*

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*A Final Summary of Submission Guidelines for Both Options:*

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For the *“Criticism as Activism” Roundtable Series:*

Individual submissions for the series should be submitted to the T&C focus
group representative, Chase Bringardner: cab0023 at auburn.edu. Submissions
should include an abstract (250 words or less), title, contact information
(name, institutional affiliation, email address, and phone number), a brief
bio (50 words or less), and any specific A/V requirements. Deadline for
these submissions is:  *Monday, October 24th, 2011.*



For *complete session proposals* (separate from the roundtable series):

Session proposals should be submitted directly to ATHE: www.athe.org  All
participants must be included in these proposals.  The website includes
submission information and forms.  The session proposal deadline is *November
1st, 2011*.



For *single paper submissions* (outside of our annual panel series) looking
for a session home

contact either cab0023 at auburn.edu or sshawyer at gmail.com.



Individuals do not need to be a member or T&C or ATHE to submit abstracts or
session proposals. However, if chosen and scheduled, participants must
become members of ATHE by the time of the conference.



We look forward to hearing from you!
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