Notice Board

Taboo Topics in Theatre for Young Audiences and the Incorporation of Theatrical Style: Innovations in Drama-Based Research / Performance for Social Change  

Please join Nicola Elson, Department of Drama, for a lunchtime discussion of her experiences incorporating sensitive subject matter into plays for young audiences. Nicola’s recent projects include A Play about a Dragon (Calgary Young People’s Theatre), Hootenanny! (a free outdoor play for all ages at Galt Gardens) and The Legend of the Lost Tooth (a mask driven, non-verbal play presented by New West Theatre). Her upcoming projects include the return this summer of Hootenanny!, a puppet and mask adaptation of The Little Prince the following spring, and a queer-themed musical adaptation of the book The Sissy Duckling, presented this March at CASA (Theatre Outré). She will share the insights she has gained from working on these productions in Southern Alberta and will discuss the challenges and rewards of incorporating subjects that include sexual/gender identity, discrimination, grief and loss, abuse, learning differences, and mental wellness into theatre for young audiences. 

A light luncheon will be served. 

Date: Wednesday, February 26th, 2020
Location: Andy’s Place (AH 100)
Time: 12 to 1 p.m.
Brought to you by The Institute for Child & Youth Studies and Women Scholars' Speaker Series  

Bio: 

Nicola Elson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge in the Department of Drama and serves on the Directorate of the Institute for Child and Youth Studies (I-CYS).  She teaches and creates theatre for young audiences, and one of her research interests is incorporating sensitive subject matter into theatrical performances for children and youth with a focus on theatrical style (mask, puppetry, clown, object theatre, foley, etc). Her research also investigates the benefits of an immersive devising environment that integrates design, playwriting and performance in a unified, inclusive process. Other areas of interest include Improvisation, Drama in Education, and Applied Theatre in Marginalized Communities.