Theatre made its way into my life at a very young age and has opened the door to many opportunities. Writing and performing have always been my main passions. I never imagined taking theatre in university, creating amazing connections, being a part of theatre festivals, developing shows from the ground up, or holding a research assistant position revolving around women’s innovations in theatre and performance. I learned a lot from the Worlding Feminist Theatre and Performance Historiography virtual roundtable and the Sustaining Global Connections Authors’ Workshop. I was able to really glean the impact theatre has all over the world, and learn about various innovators who made headway in the industry for others to follow. It was wonderful going from connecting with various theatre scholars and artists through email to being able to put faces to names during the roundtable and workshop. It was my first time helping with the organisation of planning an event, keeping track of headshots, bios, and RSVPs. It was also my first experience creating a website, working alongside my fellow research assistants to get it up and running for the events.
The main question of the virtual roundtable was: What is Wordling? This was explored through different perspectives by Frances Koncan, Dr. Amanda Reid, and Dr. meLê yamomo, moderated by Dr. Melissa Blanco Borelli. Frances explored the concept of Worlding through the definition that it is an “act or process of bringing a people, culture, nation, etc. into a global sphere of influence.” She delved into her work as an Indigenous playwright interested in showcasing the truth about history that is often skewed by privileged voices. I was especially fascinated when she spoke about her play Space Girl, which explores Indigenous futurism and the role of social media. Dr. Amanda Reid spoke about reclaiming and rewriting history through decentering Europe and using archival research. Dr. meLê yamomo delved into the topic of voice and gender, embracing that nothing is fixed in life and asking, “How do we confront the coloniser and the colonised, the feminine and masculine, that are all within us?” It was a colourful conversation that was grounded in a collaborative definition of Worlding, which will continue to be explored and developed.
The author’s workshop was an exciting event because contributors joined from all over the world. I had the opportunity to read the work of many of the theatre scholars participating in this event, which allowed me to have a bit of an understanding of what they were bringing to the conversation. Everyone seemed pleased to connect with other theatre scholars who they may not have interacted with before. It was amazing hearing all of them speak so passionately about their research and gain insight from their peers. I believe everyone in the workshop learned something new, but they were also able to discover overlap in one another’s work. During their discussions in large breakout groups, they discussed topics such as spectacle, the politicisation of female bodies, sacred modernities, repertoire, as well as seeking embodiment and voices in archives. They posed questions such as, “What might we glean from revisiting what we think we already know?” and “Who are we writing for and who are we accountable to?” Something I learned through observing their discussions is that there is not always a clear answer to these kinds of questions. Answers will change depending on the current time period and state of the world, as well as the perspective and biases we hold. It was fascinating to observe all of the discoveries and connections that were made throughout this workshop.
I feel as though I have gained new research and critical thinking skills through this experience. It has inspired me to do more research of my own into the topics that stood out to me during the roundtable and workshop, as well as beyond these events. I look forward to continuing my work as a theatre history research assistant and reading the final essay drafts of the authors in the Women’s Innovations in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Series. I strive to continue my journey as a theatre academic and be able to join in these types of conversations, and one day have my own work published.