Performance Studies Commons^™

Dance In Iran, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Two basic types of dance are performed in this Iranian cultural sphere, and in the Middle East generally. The first is regional folk dancing, most often (but not exclusively) performed in groups. The second is solo improvised dance (sometimes referred to as majilesi 'social' or 'party'). This second form often evokes a strongly negative reaction, reflected, now as in the past, in attempts to ban public performances of solo improvised dance and to marginalize professional performers. People in this area of the world sometimes seem to have what I call a "choreophobic" mentality; yet the same people who might condemn …

Fata Morgana, Erin Rogers

Senior Scholar Papers

Fora Morgana began as Traveling Light in April, 2000, a Senior Scholars project exploring the performing arts of dance and poetry. I wanted to combine these two an forms into an interdisciplinary research project and, ultimately, a full-length dance work for a production incorporating set design, sound design, costume design, and lighting. During the months following the project's conception, I began to focus the background research on Arthurian literature and legend.

Aha! Vivat Homo Sapiens, Agnieszka Taborska, James Bewley, Szymon Bojko, Conrad Armstrong, Vincent Balistrieri, Heidi Bochain, Sarah Brown, Vale Bruck, Lily Burickson, Marin De Charette, Sarah Dungan, Edie Faig, Matthew Fairbank, Amy Feldman, Jon Fernandez, Hal Forsstrom, Andrea Hackman, Leon Imas, Sherman Kew, Lara Kurtaman, Bri Mcdonnell, Lauren Nassef, Jesse M. Ragan, Allen Spetnagel, Adam Stanforth, Jenny Vovolvski, Ariana White, Chris Yates

Programs

Program for the twelfth and final annual RISD Cabaret held in the Cellar at the top of the Waterman Building. View the Performance Recording.

Dancing Boys, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The informal, and occasionally formal, institution of the dancing boy--the term used by most Western writers in their descriptions of the Islamic world--has been attested for centuries by European observers throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, as well as the Indian subcontinent and throughout the Islamic areas of Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the southern Philippines. These individuals have been called by a variety of names: bachchec [batcha], literally "child" in Persian and some Turkish languages, luti (itinerant performer), raqqas (dancer) in many regions, kocek (little) and tavsan (rabbit) in Ottoman Turkey, khawal in …

Astonish Me! Recalling The Cabaret Spirit, Agnieszka Taborska, Dawn Danby, Ian Freeman, Eric Urban, Hyun Hee Cho, Marin De Charette, Matthew Cottam, Carolyn Gehrig, Matthew Heitel, Aimee Estilow, Sarah Rundlett, Robert Van Varick, Issak Tobin, Antoine Revoy, Lee Savage, Erica Wolf, Kevin Lang, Allison Brabee, Hyun-Suk Kim, Helen Lee, Marco Cimatti, Nicholas Fuhrer

Programs

Program for the 1999 RISD Wintersessoin Cabaret intiated by the "Image and Word" class in collaboration with students of RISD Cabaret 1998 and held at AS220. The presentation was conceived and performed in homage and celebration of past RISD Cabaret shows 1987-1998. Graphic Design: Ron Winter, Ji-Ho Sohn and Eric Urban.

The Cabaret Of Dead Souls: Harvesting Russian History, Agnieszka Taborska, Jake Mahaffy, Szymon Bojko, Gella Alhassid, So-Hee Cheong, Matthew Cottam, Dawn Danby, Lorreine Fedor, Andrew Gardner, Carl Henschel, Michael Hoard, Kevin Lang, Eric Leichner, Michael Libby, April Lin, Pia Restina, Markus Reyes, James Sanders, Nicholas Scappaticci, Brett Shagen, Michael Shih, Aika Tong, Araby Williams

Programs

Program for the eleventh annual RISD Cabaret held in the Cellar at the top of the Waterman Building. Graphic design: Mia Moran, Matt Murphy, James Wynn and Katia Popova.View the Performance Recording.

Iran, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

As the locale for one of the oldest continuing cultural, linguistic, and ethnic entities, Iran provides archaeological evidence for dance portrayed on Mesopotamean pottery dated to 5000 BCE (Zoka', 1978). Evidence for continuing choreographic activity is documented in the historical writings of foreigners, from biblical times to ancient Greece to the Persian and Ottoman empires. Iconographic artworks showing dance also exist, such as silver objects from the Sasanian period (224-650 CE) and Persian miniatures from the twelfth century. Iran is, and most likely has always been, a place of immense ethnic and linguistic diversity, a continental crossroad open to influences …

Afghanistan, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

A very conservative Islamic country, Afghanistan lies on the eastern edge of the Middle East, to the west of Pakistan and India. Afghanistan is at the confluence of Iranian, Central Asian, and Indian cultural currents, and most groups within Afghanistan have ethnic ties across the borders. Indian elements are the least felt, but the rhythmic footwork of some solo dancing is highly reminiscent of classical Indian traditions. A variety of ethnic and linguistic groups, each with its own choreographic tradition, reflects Afghanistan's enormous cultural diversity. Its dance traditions, however, are scarcely documented. As in most Islamic countries, dancers are paid …

Danse Du Ventre, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Danse du ventre (also called belly dance or danse orientale) most probably derived its name from one or both of two sources: (1) a corruption of the Arabic raqs al-baladi, meaning "dance from the countryside," and (2) a reference to the highly developed movement articulations of the torso and abdomen, which are the most characteristic movement practices of this widespread dance genre. Arabs outside Egypt often call it raqs al-sharq ("Oriental dance") or raqs al-misri ("Egyptian dance"), underscoring the widespread notion that this dance tradition originated in ancient Egypt. No historical documentation exists for the origins of …

Arabian Peninsula, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The regional dances of the vast but sparsely populated peninsula that includes Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states and emirates, and Yemen are--due to political, religious, economic, and other reasons of access--among the least studied. Historically, the gulf region is one of the most ancient marketplaces, with traders from India, Mesopotamia, Africa, and the Arabian hinterland meeting here for centuries. Influences from all these groups may be discerned in the dancing.

Kurdish Dance, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

The Kurds are a nomadic people whose homeland (Kurdistan) and population (of some 10 million) are now divided among mountainous rural regions of Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Armenia; small numbers live in Israel and the Republic of Georgia, (and a separatist movement is headquartered in Paris, France). They speak an Iranian (a Persian) language, and some believe them to be the descendants of the ancient Medes. Without a state of their own, the Kurds place great importance on such cultural forms and identity markers as dancing.

Lebanon, Anthony Shay

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

In many respects, Lebanon is unique among the Arab states of the Middle East, and this uniqueness is reflected in its dance traditions, particularly in the number of professional performances given. Lebanon is a country more urban than rural, although most residents of Beirut, its capital, have some village relations or associations. Because the nation is small, no village is more than a few miles from Beirut or from such urban centers as Sidon or Tripoli. Lebanon's population is highly educated, and nomads (bedouins) account for only a miniscule percentage. The country's many religious groups and sects--mainly Christian and Islamic--seem …

The Beat Generation, Agnieszka Taborska, Paula Hunter, Steven L. Jobe, James O. Barnhill, Helen Lee, Joshua Waldman, Nishira Fitzgerald, Brendan Meilman, Ismael Lawall, Zach Pitt-Smith, Kevin Walker, Tamara Carroll, Rhon Porter, Maleese Schick, Rhody Azcueta, Kevin Umbricht, Matthew Curry, Jee-Eun Kim, Michelle Lee, Marisa Nealon, Karelle Levi, Hilary Riley, Simon Potter, Antoinette Le Vaillant

Programs

Program for the tenth annual RISD Cabaret held in the Waterman Building, top floor coinciding "with the fiftieth anniversary of the year when Allen Ginsburg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac first met and started a movement which changed the face of postwar American and influenced the 1960s as well as the subculture of the '70s and '80s." Program, poster and tickets designed by Antoinette le Vaillant. View the Performance Recording.

Musings On A Visit To Beirut, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

Abe Bassett, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Motion Pictures, reflects on his trip to Beirut, Lebanon in 1996.

Ubu Roi, Agnieszka Taborska, Sylvie Toux, Joseph Silva, Marisa Nealon, Jeremy Siew, Matt Desmith, Helen Lee, Roslyn Wiria, Janine L. Burt, Matt Moreau, Jessica Guarino, Kathy Leung, Jennifer Norton, Mutsuko Kasai, Raoul Kim, Simon Potter, Jenny Tu, Pei-Ju Chuang

Programs

Program for the nineth annual RISD Cabaret held in the Waterman Building commemorating the 100th anniversary of the premier of Alfred Jarry's 1896 play, "Ubu Roi". Graphic design: Matt DeSmith and Vivian Law.View the Performance Recording.

Hoppla! Here Comes Grosz, Agnieszka Taborska, Szymon Bojko, Marc Cannon, Denise Emerson, Aurora Gist-Yochum, Alex Hart, Arthur Jones, Laleh Khorramian, Scott King, Maki Koto, Sarah Kreiger, Ricahrd Lloyd, Luciana Mallozzi, Michael Mckenna, Pilar Newton, Heidi Sawyer, Jasmine Winkler, Sue Yoo, Heather Henson, David Medina, Doug Kim, Tara Markus, Hugh Watson, Yoon Cho, Yu-Kyung Chung, Arthur Jones, Polly Spencer

Programs

Program for the eighth annual RISD Cabaret held in Cellar at the top of the Waterman Building. Publicity, posters, cartoons and program designed by Yoon Cho, Yu-Kyung Chung,Arther Jones, Scott King, Richard Lloyd and Polly Spencer. View the Performance Recording.

The Life And Times Of Joseph Beuys, Agnieszka Taborska, Marcin Gizycki, Mark Snyder, Margaret Lewis, Julie Strandberg, Maki Koto, Yvonne Roe, Sven Armster, Ting-Ting Lee, Luciana Mallozzi, Lucinda Wolf, Christine Pellicano, James Bewley, Leah Smith, Matthew Saam, Dawn Marie Caulfield, Ellen Godena, Catherine Warner, Roy Fabian, Shirly Whong, Scott King, Megan Mclarney, Lucinda Wolfe, Andrew Feder

Programs

Program for the seventh annual RISD Cabaret held in the Waterman Building. Graphic design: Mark Snyder; program editor: Margaret Lewis; program photography: Marcin Gizycki. View the Performance Recording.

The Big Yes And The Little No, Agnieszka Taborska, Steven L. Jobe, David L. Campbell, Christopher F. Lowery, Paul Phillips, Elsie T. Hill, Priscilla Yeh, Adele Abide, Miriam Borchherdt, Dawn Marie Caulfield, Mimi Chung, Daniela Fiss, Hector Gonzalez, Akiko Hamazaki, Sarah R. Kreiger, Luciana L. Mallozzi, Ervin Ramos, Katherine Sheehan, Vanessa Sterbenz, Bruce Jason Tennis, Antanas Vainius, Andrea Winter, Julie Wollaeger, Ofra Yacobi

Programs

Program for the sixth annual RISD Cabaret held in the cellar at the top of the Waterman Building. Design and layout by Nonie Close. View the Performance Recording.

Tabou, Agnieszka Taborska, Julie Strandberg, Vivienne Cho, Jennifer Delventhal, Yvonne Roe, Yutaka Sho, Tamira Estes, Rosanna Garcia, Mariví González, Diana Brozek, Stephanie Hall, Jennifer Hayward, Dawn Marie, Michelle Regan, James O. Barnhill, Nonie Close, David Duvall, Jay Haon, Christopher Schaie, Michael Weiss, Jeff Southard, Candice Goldfarb, Charity Macdonald, Jennifer Delvanthal, Sylvie Toux, Gabriel Albarelo, Erika Munro, Aaron Abroff, Jay Haon, Olexa, Ian Smith, Ming Gale

Programs

Program for the fifth annual RISD Cabaret held in the Waterman Building. Design and layout by Nonie Close. View the Performance Recording.

The Unknown And Awakening Europe, Agnieszka Taborska, Borys Pugacz-Muraszkiewicz, Daniel Kraft, James O. Barnhill, Paul Andrejco, Bo Joseph, Christopher Kazlauskas, Ralph Kelliher, Timothy Mcelreath, Sol Armada, Carrie Bloomston, Alice Gould, Courtney Herman-Taylor, Renée Venditti, Treva Offutt, Mylene Santos, Dawn Caulfield, Joshua Wood, Carrie Caldfield, Gabriella Norton, Adriana Spurr, Hunter Marshall

Programs

Program for the fourth annual RISD Cabaret held in the Cellar at the top of the Waterman Building. Design by Daniel Kraft. View the Performance Recording.

The Ox On The Roof (Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit), Agnieszka Taborska, Aleksander F. Wierzbicki, Malcom Coelho, Lucy Bourgealt, John Donalds, Georgy Harvey, Michael J. Townsend, Rene Dimanche Jr., Mila Hermanovski, Marly J. Rogers, Susan Becker, Treva Offutt, Christopher Watts, Michael A. Tashji, Sol Armada, Mark Borok, George Page, Sean P. Oakes, Edward L. Guttman, Susan Unger, Timothy Mcelreath, Michael Wodkowski, Carsten Stehr, Julie Grass, Andrea Dassow, Julianna Ellman, Lynn Jaworski, Donna Lavalle, Judith Ribicoff, Vivienne Cho, Matthew Mcguire

Programs

Program for the third annual RISD Cabaret held in the Cellar of the Providence Art Club. Design and layout by Treva Offutt. View the Performance Recording.

Vienna, Paris, Berlin: The Golden Age Of European Cabaret, Agnieszka Taborska, William Damkoehler, Anne Johnson, Susan Sellers, Georgie Stout, Mark Borok, Michael Zimmerman, Bill Gold, Charles Oestreicher, Edward Guttman, Caroline Provost, Ed Hemingway, Holly Heerens, Eugene Mollica, Susan Unger, Michelle Talbot, Sarah Bishop, Malcom Coelho, Heather Frith, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, Jacques Prevert, Don Keefer, Emliy Cohen, Martha Crawford, Susan Becker, Hanns Eisler, Molly Komacker, Vivienne Cho, Carsten Stehr

Programs

Program for the second annual RISD Cabaret held in the Cellar in the Pit. Design and layout by Anne Johnson, Susan Sellers and Georgie Stout.

View the Performance Recording.

From St. Petersburg To Krushchev's Boot, James O. Barnhill, Justin Kerr, Edward Guttman, Caroline Provost, Jennifer Bull, Marguerite White, Nancy Bach, Steve Overman, Josh Pearson, Jean Wasil, Mark Borok, Vivienne Cho, Karen Frishmann, Heather Firth, Lisa Hurwitz, Treva Offutt, Beth Whitney, Sarah Bishop, Richard Ross, Cara Reische, Walter Clarke, Rene Dimanche Jr., David Ross, Malcom Coelho, Andrew Sklar, Michael Wodkowski, Susan Ockerse, Paul Scagnetti, Martha Crawford, Holly Su Heerens

Programs

Program for the first annual RISD Cabaret held in Memorial Hall. Design and layout by Justin Kerr.

View the Performance Recording.

Project In Choreography, Maura Murphy

Senior Scholar Papers

After researching the effects that Eastern philosophies and art forms have had on Western choreography, I noticed that those who implement the Eastern concepts of unity of body and mind produce dances which are more than phrases of movements strung together every eight counts.

As a dancer, I have a tendency to view many dances in terms of pointed feet, straight legs, and cohesiveness of ensemble work, as opposed to seeing the actual choreography. However, when watching video tapes of some "new wave" choreography by various artists interested in East Asia, I saw the dances as whole entities.

I was …

Equus: A Case For Censorship?, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the play "Equus," by Peter Shaffer. The consequences of the controversy included the introduction of a state law to limit presentation of plays with sexual conduct, the endangerment of a prestigious $150,000 award to the Department of Theatre Arts, and even the threat of reducing the University's budget. "Equus," is a gripping story of Alan Strang, a deeply troubled seventeen year old, who has inexplicably blinded six horses, and psychiatrist Martin Dysart, who seeks to relieve the boy of his extreme anguish and self-torture. All Wright State University acting majors are required to audition for every …

An Interview With Frank Barrie, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

Frank Barrie, a talented British Actor, came to Wright State University in 1985 to present his one-man show, Macready, and to speak with acting students about creating their one-person senior thesis productions.

Abe J. Bassett, Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Wright State University, interviewed Barrie.

Conversation On Effects Of Equus With Michael Ferrari, Provost, Abe J. Bassett, Michael R. Ferrari

Theatre Faculty Publications

In May of 1985, Abe Bassett interviewed Michael Ferrari about the Equus play held at Wright State University and all of the controversy that surrounded it.

Kegerreis On Equus, Abe J. Bassett, Robert J. Kegerreis

Theatre Faculty Publications

In 1985, Abe Bassett interviewed Robert Kegerreis about the Equus play held at Wright State University and all of the controversy that surrounded it.

Collegiate Theatre: Alive, Diverse And Thriving, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

Collegiate theatre is alive and well and thriving in more than 35 Ohio hamlets, towns and cities. A greater concentration of collegiate theatre can be found in only four other states in America, all significantly more populous than Ohio.

George Grizzard: A Conversation With Abe J. Bassett, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

American actor George Gizzard’s first connection with Wright State was in October, 1974 when he directed William Saroyan’s The Time of Your Life, the dedicatory production of the Creative Arts Center’s Festival Playhouse.

In January 1984, he returned to Wright State to create the role of Dr. Martin Dysart in the very successful Department of Theatre Arts production of Equus. Abe J. Bassett, Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Wright State University, interviewed Grizzard at Wright State University during this time.