The Theater and Performance Studies Workshop seeks performance pieces and interdisciplinary works-in-progress for the 2020-1 academic year. We welcome all proposals that consider theater and performance broadly, and welcome proposals that include collaborations with other workshops in recognition of the inter/anti-disciplinary scholarship Performance Studies often engages with.

This workshop will be held ​entirely online​ this academic year. Though we mourn the loss of the shared physical space and opportunities for more casual conversation, we have chosen to run the workshop online to ensure the physical wellbeing of our workshop members. We are working hard to offer programming that includes some time for socializing and community-building, as well as some exciting opportunities to engage with live performances and rehearsals (both live-streamed and intended to be experienced solo and online). We will share a schedule for the Autumn quarter by mid-September.

We welcome session pitches for pre-circulated and in-progress papers/articles/dissertation chapters, performances (your own or facilitating discussion of pre-recorded or streamed performances), play readings, or panel discussions, among others. We strongly encourage submissions from MA and PhD students, and Postdoctoral lecturers. Submissions from individuals not affiliated with the University of Chicago are likewise encouraged.

Pitches are due by 5pm on Tuesday, September 1st, 2020.

Please include the following in your pitch:

• Your name, year/position, and institutional affiliation
• Which quarter you prefer to present in – we are accepting pitches for all academic quarters
• A brief description of what kind of session you would like to pitch (pre-circulated paper discussion, viewing, panel discussion)
• What resources you anticipate needing to make this session happen (honoraria, finding respondents, Zoom co-hosting abilities, etc)

  If holding sessions online presents an accessibility issue, please be in contact with the organizers, Arianna Gass (ariannagass@uchicago.edu), and Catrin Dowd (catrindowd@uchicago.edu) to let us know how we can accommodate you.