for a PANEL ON NATIVE AMERICAN THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE
to be presented as part of the
American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS)-sponsored panels at the Comparative Drama Conference
March 25-27, 2010
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

Submission Deadlines: October 25th (Individual papers only; send to Courtney Mohler at carmel.elkin@gmail.com)

Native American Theater & Performance

The American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) invites papers that explore historical and/or contemporary Native American theater and performance. The scope of this panel is purposely broad; its intention is to generate much needed discourse in the growing, but often overlooked area of Native American theater, staged representation, and performance culture. Papers may investigate some of the following questions: What is “Native American Theater”? What are the limits/boundaries of the genre in terms of themes, forms, and authorship? How can performance stage and explore Native American community concerns? How does Native American performance stage the urban Indian experience in relationship to traditional culture? How does “mainstream” theater or performance represent Native American people or culture?

Some of the themes that papers may explore include, but are not limited to:
Contemporary productions
US Imperialism & continued occupation of the land
Traditional vs./and urban experience
Issues of (self) representation
Patriarchal colonization
(Staged) ceremony and ritual (and inlaying problematics)
Community empowerment and cultural survival

Please send 250 word abstract along with a brief biography to Courtney Elkin Mohler at carmel.elkin@gmail by October 25, 2009. Please include the author’s name, institutional affiliation, and postal address in the top left corner of the abstract. Please also include any technical requirements for your presentation such as powerpoint or slide projectors, DVD/VHS, etc.)