ISTR Conference 2008

Irish Theatre: Contexts for Performance

University College Dublin, Blackrock Campus, Carysfort Avenue | 4-5 April, 2008

Book of Abstracts | Schedule

We invite submissions of 200 words that recognise the collaborative creation that is performance, so that roles such as dramaturgy, artistic direction, design, are alongside writing and acting.  Please forward all Panel Paper Submissions and any general enquires to: eamonn.jordan@ucd.ie. Currently we have panels covering the following topics:

·     Postmodernism & Postdramatic Theatre

·     Performance Contexts

·     Intercultural and Devising

·     Beckett in Performance

·     Site Specific Performance

·     Carr in Performance

·     Performances of Irish Plays Internationally

·     Performing the Peace Process

·     The Early Performance Tradition

·     Amateur Theatre Movement

·     Pageantry and Circus

Working Groups Submissions

The working group dynamic involves the submission of papers no more than 1,500 words in length which are then disseminated for all members of the working group to read before the symposium.  During the working group sessions on the Friday of the symposium, working group members will give a brief synopsis of their paper lasting no more than 5 minutes, after which the group as a whole will discuss the paper for 15 minutes.  Please forward all Working Group Submissions and enquires to the relevant working group coordinator:

Cultural Identities: seeks papers exploring issues of Irish theatre and performance that frame the construction and categorization of cultural identities such as: gender, sexuality, race, nation, ethnicity. Performances that are a part of institutional culture as well as alternate performance cultures are included, and projects that study popular as well as elite cultural performances will be welcomed. Contact: Brian Singleton:bsnglton@tcd.ie

Theatre History and Historiography: seeks papers pertaining to any aspect of research into the history of theatre as a practice and as an institution in Ireland or the history of Irish theatre in its international contexts. This working group is also concerned with investigating the methodologies of theatre history and/or the theoretical and historical assumptions that  underpin these. Contact: Tom Maguire: tj.maguire@ulster.ac.uk

Textual Practices: seeks papers which engage with the relationship between textuality and performance, specifically in terms of the transformation of the play on the page into the play on stage. Of particular interest are papers that examine the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources. Contact: Eamonn Jordan: eamonn.jordan@ucd.ie

Performance Studies: seeks papers which explore ways to analyse performance in its multiplicity of elements and meanings. Participation is encouraged from practitioners, critics and academics in the disciplines of theatre and drama, digital technology, and performance art. Contact: Bernadette Sweeney: B.Sweeney@ucc.ie