Authors' Names

Kylie Lynn McDonaldFollow

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Category

Visual and Performing Arts (includes Creative Writing; sculpture, painting, video, dancing, music, reading, etc.)

Abstract/Artist Statement

The Inclusion in theatre is a research project I made in to expand the knowledge of relaxed shows within a performance art setting and how we can integrate relaxed shows in theatre for the inclusion of all.

Relaxed shows within theatre mean a performance that is sensory friendly performances, sometimes called relaxed performances alter the designs to be inclusive for all audience members including volume, lighting, and trigger warnings. Relaxed performances are needed within the theatre community to increase accessibility within performances and also within theatrical education settings as well.

The reason I wanted to make a research project, while always expanding this research, would be because I needed to understand how to make theatre classes more accessible to everyone. I also worked for Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer and did my first relaxed show there. I didn't know what a relaxed show was and after doing the show and talking to actors who have disabilities of their own it was an eye-opening experience of how we need to make theatre accessible. I then made it a goal to turn the research I have gathered into an opportunity to present my findings and ways other theaters have created relaxed performances.

My hope is others will hear and take that knowledge and we can melt accessibility into our theatre programs and performances to be inclusive for all people.

Mentor Name

Alessia Carpoca

Personal Statement

Title: Inclusion in Theatre: The Melting of Design and Acceptance. I made this research project in the hopes it would be able to teach theatre and non-theatre people alike on how to become more inclusive on and off the stage. This includes the ideas of what other universities, teachers, and theatres have been doing to make their own performances/classrooms informative and accessible to all. Purpose: I believe this is very valuable research because it is something that is rapidly growing and new within the theatre community and very needed within said community. Every person who learns from this presentation I hope carries that knowledge and makes their theatre space, classroom, or lives more accessible to everyone. methods: Mostly articles about inclusion in theatre, acceptance in theatre, blogs, and news publishing's. Originality: This is a newer topic within the theatre community and how we created relaxed performances is a new concept. The new ideas come from the research of how other theatres and universities are becoming more inclusive and what they are changing to do so. Significance: Theatre to me means the telling of a story in a way we can all learn together from. It means the unity of multiple crews coming together to create the world in which the story lives. To deny a person access to that, to me means, to deny what theatre is. If we cannot be united in storytelling then we cannot create theatre.

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Mar 4th, 4:10 PM Mar 4th, 4:25 PM

Inclusion in Theatre: The Melting of Design and Acceptance

UC South Ballroom

The Inclusion in theatre is a research project I made in to expand the knowledge of relaxed shows within a performance art setting and how we can integrate relaxed shows in theatre for the inclusion of all.

Relaxed shows within theatre mean a performance that is sensory friendly performances, sometimes called relaxed performances alter the designs to be inclusive for all audience members including volume, lighting, and trigger warnings. Relaxed performances are needed within the theatre community to increase accessibility within performances and also within theatrical education settings as well.

The reason I wanted to make a research project, while always expanding this research, would be because I needed to understand how to make theatre classes more accessible to everyone. I also worked for Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer and did my first relaxed show there. I didn't know what a relaxed show was and after doing the show and talking to actors who have disabilities of their own it was an eye-opening experience of how we need to make theatre accessible. I then made it a goal to turn the research I have gathered into an opportunity to present my findings and ways other theaters have created relaxed performances.

My hope is others will hear and take that knowledge and we can melt accessibility into our theatre programs and performances to be inclusive for all people.