Theater as Activism: The Virtual Living Newspaper

Maddie Southard
Directed by Dr. Lezlie Cross

Our project, Where is Home?, is an original piece of virtual theater created out of an exploration of the history of Portland and the city's modern stories of houselessness and gentrification. This work makes the topic--and research more generally--accessible and digestible for members of the public. It helps the stories of history and the present come alive and makes them easier to connect to on an emotional level. The show was also an important piece of public engagement because it involved a post-show discussion where audience members could engage with each other about the content. This sparked interesting discussion about the city of Portland and helped people challenge their previous assumptions. This work was significant to me as a student because it helped me develop as a theater maker as well as a researcher. It taught me the importance of humility and ethical theater-making when addressing topics of inequity and injustice. It also helped show me new ways of integrating scholarly research into theater.

Watch the piece in its entirety here!