CALLS FOR PAPERS

VIOLENCE ON STAGE
III INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AMERICAN THEATRE AND DRAMA
Cádiz, May 27-29, 2009

Ever since the Greeks, drama and violence have rarely been far from one another, at least within the Western dramatic tradition. The staging of violence, apart from being a representation of one of the most powerful and recurrent of human traits, can also be a reflection of larger social and cultural forces. As a matter of fact, the existence and continuity of a nation such as the United States cannot be adequately explained without a study of the use/abuse/containment of violence and, among others, its representation on stage. Serious drama in America has resorted to literal or figurative violence to pass judgment on an unfair, violently repressive society; to denounce the self-deceiving drives of many individuals; to expose the brutalizing effects of traditional family patterns and the violent exclusion of (non-mainstream or otherwise) individuals from the American Dream; or to (violently) break with inherited theatrical forms and open up new avenues of artistic experimentation. We believe that an exploration of the role of violence in American theatre and drama will result in fruitful and fresh insights into a dramatic tradition which has rarely been approached from this angle.

Among the specific issues which the conference hopes to address --always through their representation on the American stage-- are:

The conference will take place on May 27, 28 and 29, 2009, in Cádiz, one of the oldest and most harmonious cities in Europe (site of Phoenician and Roman ruins), situated in southern Spain and literally surrounded by the often violent but always suggestive ocean, in an environment propitious for scholarly reflection and the exchange of ideas. Across the Cádiz bay lies the US Rota Military Base, a useful reminder of the kind of world we live in and the role of violence in it. The University of Cádiz, with its upgraded technological infrastructure, is one of the most modern in all Spain and will prove an excellent venue for the conference. The city, on the other hand, boasts one of the mildest climates in Southern Europe and offers a rich cultural background and ample opportunities for leisure and recreation.

Among the keynote speakers that will honor the conference are Paula Vogel, Cheryl Black, John Frick, and (to be confirmed) Bob Vorlicky.

Those wishing to present a paper at the conference or organize a round-table discussion should send a 500-word abstract, in English, by September 30, 2008, to the following e-mail address: berceo@gmail.com

Authors of accepted papers will receive confirmation of acceptance by December 15, 2008. The organizers intend to publish a volume of essays based on a selection of the papers presented at the conference. Authors will be duly informed of the style specifications for manuscript submission and the editors’ expectations for such a volume. For upgraded information on the conference please visit

www.violenceonstage.com

Conference organizers: University of Cadiz, University of Seville, University of Málaga and the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS).

CALL FOR PAPERS:
American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS)
at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Conference
July 31 - August 3, 2008, Denver, Colorado

"Difficult Dialogues: Theatre and the Art of Engagement"

As playwright John Patrick Shanley once said, "Theatre is a safe place to do unsafe things that need to be done." The ATHE 2008 conference is dedicated to theatre's capacity to debate the dangerous and the daring. Hence, the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) invites papers exploring the ways in which theatre, theatre artists, and scholars achieve an authentic dialogue by engaging an audience on stage, in the classroom, and with the written word. What is it that makes true dialogue so difficult? What dialogues have we avoided-historically and on our contemporary stage? Who has been left out of the conversation and why? Historically, how has the theatre capitalized on the nature of art and served as a "safe place" to foster the "unsafe" in difficult dialogues?

The American Theatre and Drama Society encourages the submission of papers and panels addressing any of these themes. In addition to the "usual" papers and panels addressing these topics, ATDS also welcomes proposals that move "outside the box" of the traditional panel format (roundtables, talkbacks, etc.).

About the American Theatre and Drama Society: ATDS is an incorporated international organization promoting the study of the U.S. theatre and its relationships to diversified social and cultural life. It encourages the study of American plays, actors, designers, critics, audiences, and all others historically or contemporaneously associated with writing, producing, and enjoying U.S. drama, and it encourages the study of relationships among theatrical and dramatic forms in the U.S., the Americas at large, and non-Western Hemispheric cultures.

Click here for tips to submitting proposals.