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ATDS at ATHE 2024

ATDS CALL FOR PROPOSALS:

American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) Sessions at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) 2024 Conference: Revisioning the Story

Atlanta, Georgia, August 1–4, 2024

“Show me what democracy looks like”

ATHE’s 2024 call asks us to revise or re-vision in an effort to transform both theatre practice and theatre education. Revising and re-visioning share the same goal but are different methodological processes. To revise compels us to examine what works and what areas can be improved—to clarify intent and implement accordant changes. To re-vision demands that we unflinchingly perceive the status quo and then articulate an intent to change through a process that communicates our values and community. Accordingly, ATDS will use ATHE 2024 to engage with the challenges and opportunities of revision as a method and envision possible futures for the study and practice of theatre and performance in North America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Central and South America.

ATHE 2024 will convene in Atlanta, Georgia in August. As ATDS membership meets in this space, we’re mindful of the state’s recent legislation that discriminates against trans people, prohibits discussions of critical race theory in schools, and poses new challenges to voting. At the same time, we recognize important interventions, from Black theatre on the city’s stages to protests of Cop City. We’re also mindful of the impact of recent and upcoming elections in the Americas, such as the October 2023 general election in Argentina and the impending 2024 U.S. presidential election. As we consider what possibilities re-visioning holds, we want to consider: What impacts does revision have on notions of and practices in democracy? What happens when (hi)stories are revised in ways that distort/obscure/erase past realities for groups, especially those who have fought for their histories to be recognized/acknowledged/included in classrooms, theatre and performance spaces, and within our discipline? How can academics, artists, educators, and activists (re)(en)vision equitable participation within and beyond nation-states and stages?

Expanding upon the ATHE 2024 conference call, we’re asking membership to help us examine ATDS’s role in our field and how our work engages society beyond academic spheres. Organizationally, we ask:

  • How might ATDS envision its future?
  • What might ATDS’s role in this changing landscape be? How can ATDS continue to serve the field?
  • How do we continue to re-envision stories of “American” theatre and performance that is inclusive of the Americas beyond US-centric contexts?

We’re particularly interested in sessions that consider the ethical imperatives and implications attendant to the process of revisioning, including:

  • Impacts on Democracy / Democratization
  • Censorship of Civic Discourse and Encroaching Authoritarianism
  • Legislation on Education and/or Performance
  • Erasures born from Revising in the Digital Realm
  • Articulations of Revision as a Method for Restitution, Reparations, and Transitional Justice

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION

ATHE’s web portal is now open for submissions. Proposals are due January 16th, 2024 by 11:59pm ET. Please see the web portal page for submission requirements.

To submit a proposal for a panel, roundtable, workshop, or other session type, please complete the form on ATHE’s web portal (Pheedloop) and select ATDS as a sponsoring focus group. ATDS members are encouraged to submit, but you need not be a member to submit a proposal under ATDS. Please see the ATDS website for information on membership (including pay-whatyou-can memberships) and a link to join.

If you have an idea for a session that would need additional participants, you can propose a session that would re-open for applicants in the spring. Sessions that are selected and request a second round for applicant proposals will re-open for submissions on March 4th. ATDS will circulate announcements and reminders about this second call. Submitters who are interested in proposing individual work to be part of a larger session may apply during this second call.

For additional details on proposal submissions visit ATHE’s website here: ATHE 2024 Conference: Proposal FAQ.

If you have questions please reach out to ATDS conference planners Heidi Nees (hlnees@bgsu.edu), Amy Meyer (meyer.amy.e@gmail.com), and Samuel Yates (yates@psu.edu).

NOTE: In addition to ATDS’s programming at ATHE, there will be a forthcoming call for a free, online ATDS symposium during Summer 2024.

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