The six-year-old troupe, co-founded by theater professor and applied social sciences adjunct professor , includes current undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. It specializes in improvisational theater that includes the audience and actors in storytelling sessions, 鈥減layed back鈥� through action, dialogue and music, that encourage connections and conversation about difficult social issues and challenges. Inside Out has engaged with students returning from study abroad experiences, international peacebuilders, descendants of slaves and slaveholders, sexual abuse survivors, ex-offenders and migrant workers, among others.

The grant, funded by the Phoenix, Arizona-based (CPCP), provides mentorship and guidance as Inside Out develops a partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to confront issues of race, immigration and reconciliation in communities around the state.

A grant from the donor-advised听 will fund engagement with the Shenandoah Valley鈥檚 Hispanic and Haitian migrant workers, building on previous work on the Eastern Shore with similar populations. The grant also provides funds to develop and disseminate a 鈥渢oolkit鈥� for participatory arts organizations around the country to engage in similar partnerships.

Both grants will enable Inside Out members with unique opportunities to interact with well-known and inspiring mentors in the field: Hannah Fox, program director of the , and Michael Rohd, founding executive director of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice.

鈥淭hese two grants build upon our previous work, strengthen our capacities and challenge us to work intentionally with partner organizations,鈥� said Vogel. 鈥淓MU students are able to practice their art in direct connection with social justice action networks. This is a game-changer in our ability to practice arts for change.鈥�

The Catalyst Initiative: racial healing in church communities

Inside Out is one of six grantees around the United States to receive the recent round of Catalyst Initiative grants. The $6,000 grant 鈥渟upports place-based project teams comprised of an individual artist and a civic partner to conceive and execute a small-scale local arts-based project created in response to an expressed need by the partner,鈥� according to the organization鈥檚 website.

Inside Out is partnering Father Daniel Robayo, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Harrisonburg and a new member of the.

Vogel and Robayo recently returned from a two-day workshop in Phoenix with CPCP staff to begin developing their project focused on building awareness and insight into white supremacy and privilege.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone would deny that these kind of conversations need to happen, but it鈥檚 often difficult to find a welcoming space,鈥� Vogel says. 鈥淔ather Robayo and the diocese have offered this space to promote cooperation between congregations, denominations and ethnicities. Our project will most likely consist of storytelling sessions at churches around the state bringing together diverse groups.鈥�

The project will be implemented from January to October 2018. CPCP staff will make site visits to monitor the project and give guidance and critiques.

JustPax Foundation: Building Just Communities

In 2017, collaborating with Charlottesville-based 听and funded by the the nonprofit (USDAC), Inside Out hosted storytelling sessions with migrant workers on Virginia鈥檚 Eastern Shore. They also produced a 鈥渢oolkit鈥� for participatory arts organizations around the country to engage in similar partnerships.

The JustPax Fund grant provides more funds for Inside Out to work with regional migrant workers, and to continue developing and disseminating the toolkit.

Part of the grant will be used to host a Jan. 5-8 training workshop with Hannah Fox, program director at The Centre for Playback Theatre. The organization was founded by her father, Jonathan Fox, and Jo Salas, two co-founders of the playback theater concept.

鈥淎ll of our members have been trained but some have not had the benefit of the formal training that is the gold standard for playback theater,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淲ith actors coming from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Richmond and Washington D.C., this should be a phenomenal opportunity to learn and practice new skills with truly gifted actors.鈥�

This is not the first time EMU has hosted playback theater trainings with celebrated practitioners; movement co-founder Jo Salas and playback director Ben Rivers, who works in Israel/Palestine, have led trainings and special Summer Peacebuilding Institute classes.

Twenty spaces are available for the course. Email insideout@emu.edu for more information.

Course offered at 2018 Summer Peacebuilding Institute

Vogel and Foster will co-facilitate a course on participatory theater June 11-15 at the 2018 Summer Peacebuilding Institute at EMU. For more information, see the course description . To learn more about SPI, click

Academic Success Center

Linda Gnagey, director of the Academic Success Center, and Professor Vi Dutcher, with the Writing Program, recognized the following tutors concluding their service in December: Hannah Gross, Harrison Horst, Kat Lehman and David Nester.

Campus Ministries

Ministry assistants completing their service are: Kyra Lehman, Holly Mumaw, Laura Rittenhouse, Jenna Lile, Clara Weybright, Anali Martin, Seth Peters, Aaron Gusler, Sarah Kline, Kate Kauffman, Hannah Wheeler and Joseph Harder.

Pastoral assistants are Alexa Weeks and Nathaniel Nissley. Undergraduate Campus Pastor Lana Miller provided the recognition.

Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Professor Roxy Allen Kioko recognized the following students:

• Hannah Kim for her听outstanding听work as a graduate research assistant;
• Kajungu Mturi and Brenna Case for their work with the Brazil delegation that spent five days on campus learning more about restorative justice [read more here];
• Trina Trotter Nussbaum for her commitment to community-building at CJP;
• Andrea Moya Urena and Renata Loberg for their leadership with the DACA Dialogue Planning Committee [read more here];

Department of Applied Social Sciences

Katrina Poplett and Jonatan Moser were recognized for their leadership over the past two years of Take Back the Night by Professor Deanna Durham, faculty advisor [read more here].

Sociology major Harrison Horst was recognized by Professor Jenni Holsinger for his academic work and service. Read about Harrison’s many

Theater Department

Professor Heidi Winters Vogel recognized the nomination of Emma Roth, Clara Bush and Renata Loberg 鈥� actors in the fall production of MacBETH 鈥� to the Irene Ryan Scholarship competition and Amber Hooper for the stage management competition at Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival.

Latino Student Alliance

Co-presidents Ariel Barbosa, Alejandra Rivera, Anna Messer and Mario Hernandez were recognized by M. Esther Showalter, faculty advisor. [Read about their fall activities here.]

Business and Economics Department

Ryan Faraci, Jacob Sloan and Erik Peachy were recognized for extraordinary academic performance by Professor Tammy Duxbury. Brittany Williams was recognized for her leadership, academic performance and service by Professor Joohyun Lee.

Multicultural Student Services

Director Celeste Thomas recognized the Alpha Omega Dancers for Christ: Hannah Shultz, Delight Tigoe, Qing Wang (Freya), and Kellie Serrell.

The Black Student Union Board of DeVantae Dews, Childra Nwankwo, Ivan Harris, Jess Washington, Precious Waddy, Jourdyn Friend and Clarrisa White were also recognized for their steadfast leadership.

Music Department

Luke Mullet was honored by Professor Ryan Keebaugh for achievement in composition and choral music (Professor James Richardson presenting). Read about Luke’s many talents.

Nursing Department

Professor Audrey Myers, advisor of the Nursing Student Association, presented the department’s biannual awards: Dylan May, academic achievement award; Kim Heatwole, servant leader award; and Annie Trinh, Sacred Covenant Award.

Student Life

Rachel Holderman and Nicole Litwiller, student leaders of the Royals Cup competition, named Elmwood Residence as the top points accumulator of the fall semester.

The “fall individual MVP” was Andrew Troyer, followed in second place by Andrew Reimer-Berg. Third place was a three-way tie with Cameron Byer, Sarah Ressler and Lucas Wenger. In fourth place was Aaron Horst, Skylar List, Adam Peachey and Kayla Sauder. Rounding out the top 10 MVPs is Lauren Hartzler.

Student Government Association

Outgoing members were recognized: from the executive council, Nicole Litwiller, vice president and Luke Mullet, secretary; and from the senate: Nathaniel Nissley, Abigail Shelly, Leah Wenger and Ben Zook.

Athletic Honors

Student-athletes receiving honors and awards during the fall semester were also recognized. For more coverage, visit .

For arts more broadly, until the late 20th century, many North American Mennonites limited the arts to purposes of functionality, as in hand-crafted quilts for beds or pottery to contain foodstuffs, or education, as in artistic creations with explicitly Christian themes.

As early as the 1920s some tentative steps were taken towards permitting visual and performing arts on campus, but that tension was not fully resolved until the 1970s. (This approximation is a venture based on this timeline, but perhaps alumni of that era may provide other evidence to the contrary.)

During mid-1960s through the 1970s 鈥� encompassing 15 years of great social change within Eastern Mennonite College and beyond 鈥� president and theologian Myron Augsburger BA 鈥�55, BTh 鈥�58, guided the institution from insularity into full acceptance of activities that undergird a liberal arts college, including art, instrumental music, drama and intercollegiate athletics.

Now at EMU, students learn to study and use art transform the world, discover purpose, deepen faith, reach across generations and enter into healing spaces.

This timeline of the arts at Eastern Mennonite was created by Randi B. Hagi ’15 and editor Lauren Jefferson. It was reviewed by professors Jerry Holsopple, John Fast, Joan Griffing, John Horst, Heidi Winters Vogel, Stephen Sachs and Barbra Graber, as well as by Gretchen Maust ’73.

We welcome additions or comments. Please use the comment box at the end of this article.

***

1913

The first constitution specifies that was to be taught, and no instruments were permitted.

1918

Noah D. Showalter joins the faculty as the first music teacher. He has a certificate from the American Normal School of Music in Harrisonburg, and had studied voice under renowned teacher J.D. Brunk.

1920

Students form music groups for entertainment: duets, quartets, choruses, trios, octets and double mixed quartets.

1921

Commencement includes music.

1922

The first president, J. B. Smith, resigns because he has a piano in his home, which his oldest daughter plays. (Instrumental music was officially banned from Mennonite churches.) The Smith family returns to Ohio. He was replaced by A.D. Wenger, whose wife Anna May Wenger then gave up her pump organ in support, although she was later chastised for subsequently playing at someone else鈥檚 home.

C.K. Lehman directs 鈥淭he Holy City鈥� at commencement, which becomes an annual performance until 1970.

1923

The first issue of the Eastern Mennonite School Journal is published, as well as the first annual.

1924

A faculty quartet is formed. Seniors were allowed individual photos in the school annual.

1927

Virginia Conference forbids bishops, ministers and deacons from possessing musical instruments and urges all members to do the same. (This is rescinded in 1947).

鈥淎ny instrument playing rag-time music had to be deposited with the business manager or sent home,鈥� says the student handbook.

The first visual art classes are taught at the high school level by a home economics teacher.

1930

The 鈥淴-Hall鈥� or 鈥淕uild,鈥� a small building behind Northlawn Residence Hall, is built as an exercise hall, but is eventually used as a . It is now a storage space.

More than 70 percent of the student body (148 at the time) belonged to one of three campus choruses, which sang only hymns and only a capella (without instrumental accompaniment).

1937

The Mixed Choir makes the first tour to Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

1939

Mark Stauffer 鈥�35, Juilliard-trained and a Madison College graduate, is the first full-time music instructor and first faculty member with a music degree. He expands offerings beyond the previously offered two courses, to appreciation, voice, introduction to music, history of music, church music, theory and choral conducting. Stauffer will lead choirs through the 鈥�60s.

The Christmas Cantata, first offered by faculty as a gift to students, becomes a tradition.

The Weather Vane newspaper begins as a one-page mimeograph, growing to a two-page pamphlet by its third issue.

1943

Lehman Chapel is built as an all-purpose space for chapel, music and theater, among other activities.

1944

becomes the first art professor. She also teaches physical education until her retirement in 1987, but then continued teaching a watercolor class until 1996.

Skits are allowed but must be 鈥減urposeful rather than merely entertaining.鈥� Costuming is not allowed, but draping (wearing of clothes over regular attire) is.

1945

The Shenandoah annual is established.

1947

A second touring choir is formed by 24 members of the mixed chorus. They visit Ontario churches.

The original farmer鈥檚 cottage, located near the current seminary building, is converted to EMC鈥檚 first art building.

1948

The faculty council expresses mixed concerns, but not consensus, about student attendance at opera and Shakespeare productions.

Guitars, phonographs and other instruments are allowed to be played in the recreation room in the basement of Northlawn Residence Hall.

Earl M. Maust joins the faculty. He teaches until his death in 1969.

1949

A faculty committee recommends allowing the use of motion pictures for teaching.

1952

The record player for instructional purposes is allowed.

1954

WEMC begins, with singing and spoken broadcasts. No instrumental music recordings are allowed. .

1955

The faculty adopt a statement about dramatics that limits productions to less than full performances, with costuming and props kept to a minimum.

1956

The merge, and the Weather Vane changes to a newspaper format, including halftone photographs.

1958

The Phoenix, 贰惭鲍鈥檚 literary and visual arts journal, is founded by Professor听I.B. Horst ’39. Literature professor J. Herbert Martin ’59 serves as its first editor.

1959

Films are shown once a month for entertainment purposes in the assembly room.

1960

The first full-length theater production, sponsored by the Smithsonian literary society, is The Diary of Anne Frank.

A Festival of Fine Arts features plays, lectures on the arts, art displays and musical presentations.

1961

The Windsock, the Eastern Mennonite High School newspaper, separates from the Weather Vane. The first are run in the Weather Vane.

1962

A piano is permitted in the music department for 鈥渢echnical studies.鈥�

Instrumental music is no longer banned on college radio broadcasts.

A piano is accepted as an alumni gift for the student lounge.

1963

The Piranha, the first underground student newspaper, forms in the face of administration censorship of the Weather Vane. Censorship was dropped the following year, and the Piranha died with it.

1965

A small student instrumental group forms, which soon grows to an orchestra led by music professor Ira Zook.

1968

The new opens, and with that, the largest classroom on campus is used as a recital hall, theater, and general performance space.

Faye Garber Yoder graduates as EMC鈥檚 first piano concentration under the music major.

1970

“Rebirth,” a student group, releases their first album after first playing together during the 1969 Miracle Fund Drive for the new Hartzler Library. The group eventually went on two tours and in 2016, released a third and final album. Read more .

The Board of Trustees approves the commission of painted portraits of the five college presidents, to be placed in the new Hartzler Library. This building is dedicated in October 1971, with the portraits, painted by Oliver Schenk, hanging in the second floor “President’s Room.”

1972

graduates as the first art major, earning a degree in secondary art education. The current art building is named after her, and her sculptures can be found around campus, such as the Love Essence white figures by the seminary. She founds the EMHS arts program, which she runs until 1980.

1976

Lehman Chapel is for essentially the first time, becoming EMC鈥檚 first performing arts auditorium, with sound equipment, side stage exits, dressing rooms, and a rehearsal hall.

1981

Barbra R. Graber ’76 becomes the first theater professor (specifically, assistant instructor in drama)

1981

The EMU JAZZ, a big band ensemble, and Swing Sisters, a female vocal ensemble, begin under the direction of Professor Stephen Sachs.

1983

鈥淏asileas鈥� forms, an eight-member traveling drama and music group which performs in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania church and schools.

Also in 1983, a cast of eight actors in “Storm: An Improvisation on the Theme of the Sexes” bring in poetry, monologues, sketches and skits, scenes from larger plays, even cartoons that are then woven together into an original show that introduces the larger culture’s discussion of feminist ideas through humor and improvisation. “It was quite an undertaking!” Barbra Graber remembers. “The audiences were enthusiastic. Sociology professor John Eby and his wife pulled me aside after the show to say, ‘We wish we had seen this show about 20 years ago!'”

1985

Bradley Swope graduates as the first organ major.

1986

The Weather Vane switches to desktop computer publishing.

1991

Working with Ted Swartz 鈥�89, M.Div 鈥�92, Professor Barbra Graber ’76 co-founds and directs AKIMBO, an award-winning community-based professional theater with Mennonite themes and participants. The group continues until 1998. Members included Lee Eshleman ’86, Suzanne Kiblinger ’91 Kratz, Jeremy Frey ’92, Pamela Frey ’92, Rose Stauffer ’85, Ingrid DeSanctis ’88, Duane Sider, Nancy Good and Joy McIlvaine ’88.

1992

The , a week-long summer music festival, begins.

AKIMBO is commissioned to create the 75th anniversary theater production. Barbra Graber, Ted Swartz and Duane Sider collaborate听 in the playwriting.

Also in 1992, “HomecomingHome,” a collaboration of Kenneth J. Nafziger and Barbra Graber, presents dramatic and musical segments “on the theme of coming home听to the Body, as sacred temple;听to the Earth, where all things are connected;听to the Family, with the tragedy of abuse and dysfunction as well as the joy of togetherness;听and to Death, our natural place of rest.”

1996

“Drippings of the Honeycomb” is a theatrical multi-media performance based on portions of the Psalms and Proverbs. Barbra Graber says of this production that she may have never experienced “a more profound creative experience. We would begin each rehearsal going into quiet prayer and guided meditation on the chosen Psalm or Proverb. Then we would get up and begin to embody what came to us during the quiet time. It was truly profound. I had the distinct feeling that the text was somehow infusing us with creativity.”

1998

The first digital media classes are taught by Jerry Holsopple, then a part-time instructor.

2000

A communication major is created within the Language and Literature Department, with an emphasis on digital media. (The first full-time faculty member, in 2001, is Jerry Holsopple).

2002

Previously housed under the expansive Language and Literature Department, communication and theater become autonomous departments, moving along with art into the newly renovated University Commons office suite.

2003

Professor Ken J. Nafziger leads the along with Ysaye Maria Barnwell, a member of the renowned gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock. From 1999 to 2003, when President Bill Clinton opened the doors to Cuba through education-centered travel permits, Nafziger made 11 music-centered trips.

2004

The jazz band plays its final season.

2006

Digital media and photography majors are added. The Visual and Communication Arts Department, known popularly as VACA, is the result of a merger between the communication department and the art department.

2007

WMRA picks up the WEMC broadcast, retaining Mostly Mennonite, Mostly A Cappella, hosted by emeritus professor John Horst, from 8-9:30 a.m. Sundays (encore at 8 p.m. Wednesdays). Also retained is the Park View Mennonite Church worship services, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. 91.7 FM and online at.

2008

Theater professor Heidi Winters Vogel and student Pam Mandigo ’08 found , a summer high school theater workshop. This program is supported by Arts Council of the Valley and EMU with students from area high schools.

2009

Professor Cyndi Gusler introduces to EMU. The biannual Mennonite Church convention begins featuring the show.

2009-2010

Renovations in the older part of the University Commons create two new theater spaces, a new digital media lab and the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery.

2010

Into the Window is the first exhibition in the new Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery, featuring icons painted by Jerry Holsopple during his year in Lithuania as a Fulbright Scholar.

Phase II construction of the University Commons is completed, including the renovated 200-seat MainStage Theater, the relocated Lee Eshleman Studio Theater, the new Margaret Martin Gehman Art Gallery and the new Kenneth A. Longacre Sr. Advanced Media Lab. The facility is in the spring of 2011.

2011

The Bus Stop by Chinese Nobel Laureate dramatist Gao Xingjian inaugurates the new . 听This production was directed by Heidi Winters Vogel and featured original music by Frances Miller.

The new Studio Theater space is to actor Lee Eshelman ’86, who also worked in the EMU print shop and as a graphic designer.

2011

Theater professor Heidi Winters Vogel co-founds the 鈥淚nside Out Playback Theatre鈥� group, which employs a form of improvisational drama based on audience storytelling, after participating in informal Summer Peacebuilding Institute workshops led by .

2013

by playwright and immigration lawyer Kara Hartzler ’94, directed by Heidi Winters Vogel, is invited to the Mennonite National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Visual and Communication Arts Department merges with the Theater Department.

2015

Emulate, a touring ensemble, forms under the direction of Professor Ryan Keebaugh.

Jonathan Drescher-Lehman ’15 is the first EMU student to win entrance into the prestigious North American Nature Photography Association College Scholars program. He produces a , with other scholarship recipients and professionals, about the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

2016

Professor Justin Poole and his wife, Amanda, lead the first in Central Europe. The group of 22 students attended 35 plays, visited 38 theaters, and produced their own dramatic piece about the different stages of cultural integration.

Professor Steven David Johnson鈥檚 conservation photography course is one of two in the United States highlighted by ; the other is taught at Stanford University.

2017

Jazz band with the help of student saxophonist Harrison Horst ’17 and director Greg Curry.

Macson McGuigan ’17 is the to win entrance into the prestigious North American Nature Photography Association College Scholars program. He produces a film, with other scholarship recipients and professionals, about a proposed Florida wildlife corridor.

“,” a 400-ton sculpture by Esther Augsburger ’72 and son Michael ’80, is mounted at EMU after years of display in Washington D.C.

During Homecoming and Family Weekend, Ingrid De Sanctis 鈥�88 and Ted Swartz 鈥�89, MACL 鈥�92, are joined by alumni actors to debut听What we bring. What we take. What we leave.

The 10 x 10 x 100 , curated by Ashley Sauder Miller ’03, features six prominent alumni artists and their 100 works measuring 10 inches x 10 inches. A percentage of the sales will be donated to the EMU arts program.

听

All performances, with the exception of Saturday, Nov. 12, begin at 7:30 p.m. The Nov. 12 performance, which begins at 9 p.m., is part of the .

Written by absurdist playwright Caryl Churchill, the play centers around a young hat maker who faces her own complicity in a fictional world full of war and violent imprisonment. The play is appropriate for those middle-school-aged and older.

Winters Vogel first saw Far Away 12 years ago, and has wanted to direct the piece ever since. 鈥� She has been pitching the play to the for years, and just this season gained approval for the production. However, the play is complex at best, and absurdly opaque at worst 鈥� she wants to ensure her audience would understand it without being 鈥渟poon fed.鈥�

Senior Hailey Holcomb read Far Away during the department’s season planning time, and 鈥渉ated the play while I was reading it the first time 鈥� but the longer I sat on it and thought about it, the more sense it made,鈥� says Holcomb. 鈥淚 think that the way it is written makes people uncomfortable, and then they have to think why, especially when it’s drawing parallels to our own society.鈥�

鈥淲e need to talk about the little things that lead to the big things,鈥� says Winters Vogel, referencing the Syrian War, Black Lives Matter movement, and election-centered extremism as examples. How do people talk about violence? Who do we 鈥渙ther?鈥� What systems do we perpetuate that create structural inequality? These are some of the questions she hopes the play will inspire. A response session embedded in the end of the play will allow such discussion to happen within the theater atmosphere.

To promote understanding, Winters Vogel and her crew intend to create a 鈥渃ontainer,鈥� a world for the playgoers to step into and become part of,through set design and audience participation. The visual focal point for the set design is 鈥淭he Horde,鈥� a 1927 painting by Max Ernst that evokes World War I’s devastation of Europe. For the set, , professor in the , has sculpted a giant burlap figure based on the painting 鈥� a symbol of the desperation and disconnectedness that is created by and fuels violence.

Graduate student Bethany Chupp plays Joan, the hat maker, 鈥渁s she navigates the ambiguity of young adulthood in the midst of a world war,鈥� says Chupp. 鈥淚 think this show will provide an incredible opportunity for the EMU community to discuss what it means to create an 鈥檜s鈥� and 鈥檛hem,鈥� and who we’ve named as such in the midst of current world politics.鈥�

One of the most prescient elements of the play, as Winters Vogel explains, is that 鈥渘obody is outright evil. They are just caught up in the normalcy of it.鈥�

Says Holcomb, 鈥渋t has a lot of commentary that could be applied to the migrant crisis, to racism, to the prison system, to the death penalty.鈥�

In addition to Chupp, a graduate student from Canby, Oregon, the cast also includes Myriam Aziz, a graduate student from Beirut, Lebanon; Emma Roth, a junior from Goshen, Indiana; Elisha Keener, a 2015 graduate from Mount Joy, Pennsylvania; Anna Ressler, a first-year from Kidron, Ohio; Abigail Greaser, a first-year from Goshen, Indiana; Belen Yoder, a junior from Brussels, Belgium; Clara Bush, a junior from Souderton, Pennsylvania; and Dallas Hetrick, a sophomore from Grantsville, Maryland.

Tickets are available through the .

Professor and Ashley Sauder Miller will host an open studio in the gallery between the concert and the theater performance. Visitors are welcome to stop by, watch the artists at work and ask questions. Gusler works in mixed media. Miller, a 2003 graduate and director of the Spitzer Art Center in Harrisonburg, is managing EMU Centennnial鈥檚 . This summer, she won Best in Show and $7,500 for her mixed media piece “Faded Memory” at the Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach.

Gala Concert: 7 p.m., Lehman Auditorium

The 鈥檚 annual Gala celebrating the winter holiday season showcases the breadth of musical talent on campus.

The Wind Ensemble, under the direction of , will be performing Shenandoah by American composer, Frank Ticheli (b. 1958).

The Chamber Orchestra,听directed by , will perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ (1872-1958) English Folk Song Suite.听

The second half of the program will be a combined performance of Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, commissioned in 2007 by the Majorstua and Nova Chamber Choirs.听The work will feature members of the Women’s and Men’s choir, directed by ; the Emulate Chamber Ensemble, directed by ; the Chamber Singers, directed by ; and the Chamber Orchestra听.

Suggested donations are $10 per person and will benefit the music scholarship fund.

鈥淔ar Away鈥�: 9 p.m., MainStage Theater

Written by absurdist playwright Caryl Churchill and directed by Professor , Far Away centers around a young hat maker who faces her own complicity in a fictional world full of war and violent imprisonment. The play is appropriate for those middle-school-aged and older.

By depicting 鈥渁 culture where violence has become gradually acceptable,鈥� the play gives the audience a lens to examine their roles and responsibility in the violence of our actual world, says Winters Vogel. She adds: 鈥淲e need to talk about the little things that lead to the big things,鈥� referencing the Syrian War, Black Lives Matter movement, and election-centered extremism as examples.

A response session embedded in the end of the play will allow such discussion to happen within the theater atmosphere.

The visual focal point for the set design is 鈥淭he Horde,鈥� a 1927 painting by Max Ernst that evokes World War I’s devastation of Europe. For the set, , professor in the Visual and Communication Arts Department, has sculpted a giant burlap figure based on the painting 鈥� a symbol of the desperation and disconnectedness that is created by and fuels violence.

Other performances are Nov. 11 and Nov. 17-19.

鈥淚 didn’t know what award-winning work looked like,鈥� says Turner, 鈥淚 just do!鈥�

Compiling notebooks and creating study guides

Dramaturgy is a loosely defined field 鈥� its main goal, in any setting, is to provide informative direction for the members of a theatrical production to create the highest quality performance possible.

For 鈥淔rog and Toad,鈥� a children’s theater piece based on the adventures of a sour toad and an upbeat frog, Turner鈥檚 dramaturgy work took the form of extensive animal and author research, compiled into notebooks for each cast member.

One cast member had never seen a toad before, 鈥渟o when doing movement exercises where they embodied their animal, he was at a loss,鈥� Turner says. To add authenticity to the play, he had the actor watch videos of toads to emulate their motions.

Additionally, Turner compiled a study guide for approximately 600 elementary and middle school students who attended performances.

鈥淗e also generated accessible and useful details about previous productions of the script 鈥渁utobiographical insights on author Arnold Lobel, and hints on how best to connect with children based on the work of educational theorists,鈥� says EMU professor .

鈥淔rog and Toad stories are a wonderful way to teach empathy to children,鈥� says Turner. 鈥淚 wanted to stay true to that.鈥�

Working closely with each cast and design team member, Turner helped shape the production to its Shenandoah Valley locale. A farmer mouse, an electrician red-spotted newt, and a turtle with a washboard belly were aesthetic and cultural choices to give the play a home in Rockingham County.

In Turner’s words, that is another role of the dramaturg 鈥� to 鈥渒eep it grounded鈥� 鈥� by being aware of context and giving critical feedback.

A change of heart

“I’ve always had this love-hate relationship with the theater,鈥� explains Turner, who got his first taste of the drama department when asked to operate the lighting system for the spring 2014 performance of 鈥淚nto the Woods.鈥� From there, he says, 鈥渕y soul slowly but surely got sold to the theater,鈥� culminating in an independent study in dramaturgy with Vogel.

Turner’s performance in 鈥溾�� in the fall of 2015 earned a nomination to the KCACTF’s regional festival in West Chester, Pennsylvania, yet he held no visions of grandeur when submitting his 鈥淔rog and Toad鈥� portfolio for the dramaturgy competition. In fact, he left before the award ceremony with others carpooling back to EMU. Vogel texted him to inform him of his accolade.

鈥淪hut the front door!鈥� Turner responded. 鈥淚t was almost like being struck by lightning.鈥�

National participation pending

Vogel puts Turner鈥檚 win in perspective: 鈥淒errick, representing KCACTF Region 2, is now one of eight student dramaturgs from across the country eligible to present their work at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He bested student dramaturgs from all over Northern Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, southern New York state, and eastern Ohio.鈥�

In March, Turner will find out if he is one of four students invited to compete at the national level at the Kennedy Center’s April 2016 festival.

While his vocational dream, as a , was to curate at a Smithsonian museum, Turner now sees career opportunities in dramaturgy. He is currently involved with a campus production of 鈥淒istant Witness,鈥� and is applying for a summer fellowship with the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, and was recently contacted by the Dramaturgy National Coordinator for KCACTF to discuss Turner’s interest in the profession of dramaturgy.

鈥淒oors are opening; I just have to continue walking,鈥� he said with characteristic understatement. While Turner prefers to 鈥渇ly under the radar,鈥� the acclaim his dramaturgy has garnered speaks for itself.

Campus Ministries

Undergraduate campus minister began with a recognition of , including Nathanael Ressler and Rebekah York, who are both concluding their service.

Theater

Professor introduced three student-actors have been invited, based on their performances in “Frog and Toad,” to compete for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship at the Region II Jan. 12-16, 2016 at West Chester University: Christian Parks and Myriam Aziz, with Ezrionna Prioleau as an alternate. Additionally, Caitlin Randazzo will compete in stage management and Derrick Turner in dramaturgy. Vogel directed the production, which ended performances Dec. 5.

Student Programs

Joel Castanon, products and marketing manager at the campus coffeehouse, , was recognized for his leadership and values by , director of student programs. After working as a barista for a semester, Castanon moved into management at Common Grounds, where he expanded the number of products available and marketing efforts associated with the new products. He also sought out local food sources, including Mount Crawford Creamery and Smiley’s Ice Cream. Sawatsky noted that Castanon promised at the beginning of the semester to “live in Common Grounds,” and he’s lived up to that promise.

Wael Gamtessa joined 1.5 years ago and has been vice president for the past semester. Sawatsky called Gamtessa “one of those rare people who possesses both intellectual capability as well as emotional sensitivity, which makes him able to handle extensive technical aspects of an event but also to work in the role of DJ, sensing the mood of the room and responding as needed.”

University Accord

Twenty-nine students earned Leadership Effectiveness and Development (LEAD)听 certificates, recognizing their voluntary participation in a series of workshops on healthy conflict resolution and communication. Recognition was offered by , director of , and , assistant director.

These students include Diego Barahona, Heyrin Cha, Ana Cruz, Tae Dews, Wael Gamtessa, Rediet Germa, Teresa Garcia Bautista, Winifred Gray-Johnson, Jonae Guest, Victoria Gunawan, Hanna Heishman, Mario Hernandez, Fernanda Hernandez, Rachel Holderman, Sarah Jennings, Oksana Kittrell, Kat Lehman, Carissa Luginbill, Anna Messer, Valerie Meza-Cooper, Alyssa Moyer, Makora Nyagwegwe, Christian Parks, Louisa Quaynor, Richard Robinson, Alejandra Tejada, Delight Tigoe, Philip Watson and Brittany Williams.

Nursing

department chair Melody Cash recognized three students as exemplars of nursing students. Michael Sumner has lived out the “” of nursing, supporting and encouraging patients and peers at EMU. Raquel Enriquez embodies “servant leadership,” seeing possibilities and potential where others see barriers, Cash said, while showing an inspirational ability to successfully and smoothly handle responsibilities of schoolwork, her family and extended family. Olivia Mast, recognized for academic excellence, “shares her knowledge as a tutor and facilitates the learning and success of others.”

听Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

, practice coordinator at the , recognized five students for their voluntary work in furthering peacebuilding knowledge in the local community. Graduate students Ahmed Tarik, Myriam Aziz and Jordan Detwiler-Michelson joined together to share their experiences about Syria in local churches.

Additionally, graduate student Mikhala Lantz-Simmons and Mohammad Rasoulipur, who holds a graduate certificate and is interning with the , were recognized for their CJP grant-funded project, 鈥淪tories of War,” a video compilation of 18 members of the local community talking about their experiences with and reflections about war. [News articles on both of these projects are forthcoming.]

Music

major Sarah Sutter, was introduced by , music department chair. Griffing called Sutter “an exquisite musician … an expressive, concise, and sensitive singer who understands the demands and subtleties of great music and performs with insight and maturity.” Sutter听 tutors music theory students, ushers for concerts on and off campus, and has led the organization of the for The Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg. [This event is at Common Grounds from 4:30-6:30 p.m., with performances by students of a variety of music, from Christmas carols, to bluegrass to classical].

Athletics

The following were recognized for their accomplishments during the fall and winter sports season by director of athletes . “They have been given God-given talent and ability, they understand how much work it is to hone those skills, and they recognize the value of their teammates in helping them achieve what they have.”

Cross country: and ;
Field hockey: ;
Men’s soccer: , and ;
Women’s soccer: and ;
Women’s volleyball: and ;
Men’s basketball: and ;
Women’s basketball: .

Academic Success Center

, director of the , recognized outgoing tutors Olivia Mast, Rebecca Powell and Ryan Swartzentruber for their “dependable, valuable and humble support.”

Student Government Association

Outgoing senators Robert Cook, Kate Weaver, Karina Guzman, Allan Oloo, Sara Shenk Moreno and Sarah Longenecker were recognized for their service in the Student Government Association听 by Vice President of Student Life .

The Tony-nominated Broadway musical 鈥淎 Year with Frog and Toad鈥� is based on author/illustrator Arnold Lobel鈥檚 鈥淔rog and Toad鈥� children鈥檚 book series. The musical, directed by professor opens Nov. 20. Additional performances are Nov. 21 and Dec. 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. with matinees Nov. 22 and Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the EMU box office at 540-432-4582 or听.

鈥淥ur production听is set here in the Shenandoah Valley and the animals are the kind you would find in the woods and ditches right here in western Virginia,鈥� says Vogel. Her vision was to have the actors portray human characters with animal qualities instead of being in animal costumes. 鈥淭he actors have studied the way the animals move and are using that in their portrayals. Also, the characters reflect folks you might meet here too.鈥�

For history major Derrick Turner, assistant director and dramaturg, the show brings back memories. 鈥淚 loved those books. My mom read them to me when I was a child.鈥�

To spark the actors鈥� imaginations, Turner conducted extensive research with EMU professor and conservation photographer . He then compiled movement videos and information on each portrayed animal for the actors, including habitat, food and skeletal structures.

EMU hasn鈥檛 done a children鈥檚 play in at least a decade, Vogel says, but the play meets the ‘s educational goals. 鈥淭heater for Young Audiences (TYA) is a hugely important genre of theater that our students should have experience performing and producing. Children are a different audience than adults.鈥�

The cast will perform three additional matinees for students from six local schools and three home school groups, says Turner, who made study packets accessible for K-5 grades.

鈥淎dults are much more well-behaved, but I find performing for children is a much more interactive experience,鈥� says actor Josh Helmuth, a music composition major who performed for elementary students while in high school.

Helmuth portrays four animals, including a showy bird and a straight and narrow lizard. 鈥淵eah, I don鈥檛 get a break,鈥� he says, smiling.

Playing animals has never been a favorite role for English and theater double-major Makayla Baker. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like when people portray animals. It鈥檚 so weird. But here I am鈥擨鈥檓 a turtle,鈥� she deadpans. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 been great.鈥�

Baker鈥檚 turtle is a laundry woman carrying a basket on her back and a scrub board around her neck.

Myriam Aziz, a graduate student in the master鈥檚 conflict transformation program, was cast as Frog. 鈥淎 female playing a part for a male, I think that鈥檚 really funny,鈥� says Aziz, who is active in theater in Lebanon. But having a male as a pal, she says, 鈥渞eminds me of my friend back home. We鈥檝e been friends for 13 years.鈥�

The cast and crew agree that even though 鈥淎 Year With Frog and Toad鈥� is based on a children鈥檚 book series, adults will also appreciate the cheerful upbeat musical.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of comedic effect in it,鈥� Helmuth says.

鈥淚t is funny,鈥� says Baker, noting that the EMU community is inviting younger family members and people from their church to the show. 鈥淎 lot of EMU students were raised on these books.鈥�

Cast

Myriam Aziz, Christian Parks, Ezrionna Prioleau, Bianica Baker, Esther Ajayi, Josh Helmuth, Makayla Baker, Zoe Parakuo, Hailey Holcomb

Crew

Director 鈥� Heidi Winters Vogel
Choreographer and Costume Designer –
Accompanist 鈥� Jim Clemens
Stage Manager – Caitlin Randazzo
Assistant Stage Managers – Lydia Hales and Belen Fernandez
Props Designers – Alex Rosenberg and Kevin Clark
Assistant Lighting Designer – Sierra Comer
Assistant Director and Dramaturg – Derrick Turner
Music Director –
Set Designer –
Lighting Designer –

This is the third year has hosted the series of events, which includes a theater production on Monday; a 鈥淩emember the Heroines鈥� vigil for women killed in Mexico on Tuesday; and two events on Friday: chapel with Center for Justice and Peacebuilding graduate student Myriam Aziz and Darsheel Sehbi, and the 鈥淭aste of EMU鈥� cooking contest.

A committee from the International Student Organization chooses a new theme each year. The 2015 committee includes students Gamtessa, Brenda Soka, Winifred Gray-Johnson, Abdel Barry and Emmanuel Kampanga.

鈥楽别惫别苍鈥�

Monday’s performance of will be in the Studio Theater at 7 p.m. A collaboration of seven female playwrights from around the world, this documentary play is a series of monologues based on interviews with international women leaders. Directed by theater professor , 鈥淪even鈥� chronicles the worldwide struggles for empowerment, peace and well-being in Russia, protecting women from domestic violence; in Cambodia, with victims of human trafficking; in Guatemala, with the poor; in Afghanistan, with rural women; in Nigeria and Pakistan, for women鈥檚 education and rights; and in Northern Ireland, promoting peace and equality, according to the production鈥檚 website.

Olga Baltazar, who reads for the Guatemalan character Annabella de Leon, does not see herself as an actress. However, reading the script convinced her to join the cast. 鈥淭hese women rose from against all odds of their culture to fight for women’s鈥� rights,鈥� says Baltazar, who is from Mexico. 鈥淚 feel connected to to my character because I, for one, represent a culture where women are often put down.鈥�

鈥淭hese stories have inspired me,鈥� says Rebekah York, a senior from Romania who plays an Irish woman named Inez McCormack. 鈥淭o see that women have been supporting each other and empowering other women over the years is truly amazing. Sometimes we can feel so alone in our work, but looking at history and reading about some pretty incredible women of the past fills me with hope.鈥�

Vogel says the 鈥減owerful piece鈥� will be presented as a concert reading. Baltazar and York are joined by cast members Victoria Gunawan, Adila Wahdat, Dera Nwankwo and Iryna Clamp.

鈥楾aste of EMU鈥�

The ‘Taste of EMU’ competition on Friday is open to all community members. To participate, contact Susannah Lepley in the Multicultural and International Student Services office. Up to $20 of ingredient expenses can be reimbursed.

鈥淚 was part of the food festival last year as a participant, but this year I’m really happy that I got the chance to help coordinate this event,鈥� says Gamtessa, a sophomore computer engineering major from Ethiopia.

鈥淟ast year, we had to cook [for the contest] as part of my global connections class,鈥� Gamtessa explains. 鈥淭his year, we changed the name from the ‘International Food Festival’ to ‘Taste of EMU’ because we didn’t want to restrict the food to the international community. We want anyone and everyone who is willing to do it, to prepare something 听which they believe has meaning to them and people around them and share it with the campus community.We hope this experience will take people down the road and across the globe.鈥�

Senior Zoe Parakuo from Kenya competed last year with one of her favorite snacks, samosas 鈥� a savory, fried pastry. Samosas 鈥渨ere adapted by Kenyans when Indians settled there back in the day, so I thought a lot of people would be familiar with it,鈥� says Parakuo. 鈥淚 wanted students to enjoy my food.鈥�

The conference is hosted by the (PJSA), dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12 teachers, and grassroots activists to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice and social听change.

“PJSA is an important bi-national alliance for peacebuilding research, scholarship, training and activism,鈥� says , executive director of 贰惭鲍鈥檚 . 鈥淚t is a great honor that so many CJP and EMU faculty, staff and graduates will be featured in prominent conference roles this year, and allows a rare opportunity to highlight our distinctive contributions to the peacebuilding field.”

Those 鈥渄istinctive contributions鈥� include both conceptual and practical dimensions to the fields of , , , peace and justice studies pedagogy and the pedagogy of practice within the field, experiential education, reflective pedagogy and the arts and peacebuilding.

Catherine Barnes offers keynote address

Dr. Catherine Barnes, affiliate professor at CJP, will share from more than 30 years of experience working with deliberative dialogue processes in places as varied as the UN General Assembly Hall to village gathering places. Her address is titled 鈥淓ngaging together: exploring deliberative dialogue as a path towards systemic transformation.鈥�

鈥淒eliberative dialogue鈥� is a process that can empower participants to foster collaborative relationships and perceive the underlying mental models that maintain the status quo with the goal of fostering new approaches to complex challenges.

For the past seven years, Barnes has been working in support of transitional processes in Burma/Myanmar. She has worked and lived in more than 30 countries as a teacher, trainer, researcher, policy advocate and consultant with the focus of helping civil society activists, diplomats and politicians, and armed groups to build their capacities for preventing violence and using conflict as an opportunity for addressing the underlying causes giving rise to grievance. Barnes has worked with numerous peacebuilding and human rights organizations, including Conciliation Resources and Minority Rights Group International.

Focusing on education

贰惭鲍鈥檚 on peace and justice guides its educators, many of whom are sharing their pedagogical practices and discussing ways to educate future peacebuilders in the 鈥渆ducator鈥檚 strand,鈥� designed for personal and professional development of K-12 teachers, undergraduate and community educators. Themes include pedagogy, curriculum development, building a culture of peace in your classroom or school, alternative education programs, and restorative听practices.

On the undergraduate level, professor , who leads the in the department of applied social sciences, leads a roundtable discussion for faculty and administrators of peace and justice studies programs.

, the with CJP鈥檚 , joins professor and graduate students in a session on mentoring student peacebuilders and the importance of those mentors being experienced practitioners themselves.

Restorative practices are highlighted by professors and in a 鈥渞elational justice鈥� workshop on how mindful teachers can prepare and prime 鈥渢heir best selves鈥� in preparation for inviting students into models of restorative justice. Mullet also joins , professor of education at Bridgewater College, for a workshop on relational literacy in multicultural K-12 classrooms.

Cheree Hammond, professor of counseling, leads educators in a workshop on contemplative pedagogies and the cultivation of a just and peaceful self.

Restorative justice, trauma healing, playback theater featured

The conference offers an opportunity to highlight 贰惭鲍鈥檚 unique peacebuilding initiatives. The brings together practitioners from EMU and JMU, as well as local law enforcement. Collaborators in the initiative will speak: , co-director of the; education professor ; Harrisonburg Police Department lieutenant Kurt Boshart; , restorative justice coordinator at the ; and , director of JMU鈥檚 Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices.

Another definitive CJP program, (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience), will be introduced in a workshop by professor and program director .

troupe co-founders and lead a workshop on playback theater as qualitative research. Vogel is a professor of theater; Foster instructs in the applied social sciences department and with CJP. The applied theater method invites dialogue and healing through community-building, as audience members share stories and watch as they are 鈥減layed back鈥� on the stage. Among other settings, Inside Out has performed on campus with college students returning from cross-culturals, among international peacebuilders and in workshops for and research about trauma and sexual abuse survivors.

, professor of applied social sciences, speaks about social capital networks as forms of resistance among battered undocumented Latinas, sharing just one strand of a .

, assistant professor of restorative justice and peacebuilding, leads a discussion on the film 鈥淰ision is Our Power,鈥� a film about black youth ending violence in all its forms. The documentary was created by four young filmmakers participating in a multi-year arts and leadership Vision to Peace Project led by Turner; the film debuted in 2008 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

And more鈥�

, professor of English, presents on life narratives and identity issues in the Balkans with his wife Daria, a CJP graduate who teaches in the counseling department at JMU. The two lived and taught in the Balkans.

, professor of philosophy and theology, explores the recent work in philosophy and science on theory of emotion.

, a new faculty member coming to EMU next semester after concluding his PhD research at American University, participates several panels, with a diversity of topics including transnational solidarity and police brutality and racism in the contested areas of Palestine and Ferguson, Missouri. Seidel is a board member of PJSA.

Among the alumni presenting: Vesna Hart, Sue Praill and Tom Brenneman join a panel discussion on justice and the nature of human nature. Ted Swartz presents the satire with Tim Ruebke and JMU professor of theater Ingrid DeSanctis.

View the . Registration听fees will be covered for attendees听from the Shenandoah Valley who are affiliated with or sponsored by Bridgewater College, James Madison University, 草莓社区, or Mary Baldwin College. For more information, click .

Fitting, especially,听for , which hails from an institutional home with Anabaptist peace-oriented values.

Then, a quick connection with the act to follow 鈥� pastor , author of 鈥淔lipped鈥� 鈥� resulted in a thematic 鈥渇lip鈥� of their own for听this weekend’s听performance in Hot Springs, North Carolina. No matter for this experienced group of actors, who rely on their quick thinking, improvisational and artistic skills, and a deep intuitive confidence in each other to spontaneously re-enact stories offered by volunteers in the audience.

Wild Goose, here we come!

A conversation in common

Always seeking new spaces and places to build community through storytelling and theater, Inside Out heads south to camp out and join the fun at the Wild Goose Festival beginning Thursday, July 9. That leaves plenty of time to catch, and enjoy, the vibe for this well-rounded group of EMU faculty, alumni, and graduate and undergraduate students.

The festival 鈥渋s a place where artists, activists, thought leaders and seekers gather in both joyous and serious conversations about living into social justice,鈥� says Inside Out co-founder . 鈥淲e are so excited to be part of that conversation.鈥�

Billed as a celebration of justice, spirituality, music and the arts, Wild Goose鈥檚 myriad of speakers, poets, musicians and performance artists 鈥渋nvite respectful 鈥� but fearless 鈥� conversation and action for the common good,鈥� according the website.

鈥淲ild Goose seems the perfect place to find folks who share our pursuit of community and justice,鈥� adds co-founder . 鈥淭hese are EMU values too!鈥�

Connecting communities in story

Inside Out takes the stage on the last night, at 5 p.m., Saturday, July 11, in the Performance Caf茅. The hour-long 鈥減erformance鈥� begins with fun, simple audience interactions, followed by an invitation to audience members to share a real story from their lives. The actors then provide an unscripted improvisation of the story.

鈥淭he playing back provides the storyteller a chance to witness their own story from the outside, discover new meanings and be affirmed by the community response,鈥� says Vogel. 鈥淲e are all connected, teller, performers and audience. We all witness the transformation together.鈥�

Stories and their tellers are honored in a safe space 鈥渇ormed with respect and dignity,鈥� Foster says.

In a happy coincidence, Inside Out provides what Vogel calls the 鈥渨arm-up act鈥� for Pagitt. She and her husband, David, worked with Pagitt when he was the youth pastor at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The couple produced dramas for Wooddale鈥檚 popular weekly youth events, and also produced and directed a nationwide tour of 鈥淟iving on the Edge,鈥� a youth-oriented and youth-performed musical.

After Inside Out鈥檚 storytelling event, Pagitt takes the stage to talk about concepts from his new book, 鈥淔lipped.鈥�

鈥淗is book challenges assumptions and knowledge of God, looking to Jesus鈥� teachings for what we may have missed,鈥� Vogel said. 鈥淏efore he speaks, we鈥檒l ask the audience to share moments when we were upended, when our lives changed forever. What we share and learn together in 鈥榩laying back鈥� those experiences will help us be ready to explore Doug鈥檚 message.鈥�

Since its founding in 2011, Inside Out has worked on and off campus to promote storytelling and playback theatre as a movement toward social change and personal transformation. Actors have听a range of backgrounds, from theatre arts and music to conflict transformation, and many have also been through 贰惭鲍鈥檚 (STAR) program.

A two-day transdisciplinary seminar melding theater and narrative arts and the health sciences in April at 草莓社区 (EMU) drew students into interactions that explored these questions, using strategies of responsive listening and collaborative teaching. The event was part of the , led by professor and supported by a grant, which focuses on abuse and strategies of resilience.

The community of approximately 60 learners included graduate students in the , undergraduate students in various health science courses, trained facilitators from the Pennsylvania-based non-profit , and a group of actors from , 贰惭鲍鈥檚 playback theater group.

The focus of the workshop, said Stauffer, was the mind-body connection from a health sciences perspective. 鈥淎ll life experiences are filtered through our neurological and biological systems. If we are not intentional about addressing unresolved issues, they play out in very negative ways on our health. Our goal in this seminar was to help students make that connection. When we surface and share our stories, we can build community and work towards resolution and resilience in ways that then offload the negative impacts from our bodies.鈥�

The transdisciplinary emphasis brought together Stauffer, who teaches in the MA in biomedicine program, and playback theater troupe co-founders and , also a professor of theater.

鈥淭he collaboration between people who would identify as scientists and people who identify as artists is very exciting,鈥� Foster said, pointing out that the workshop created a space where both are valued equally.

Listening as a 鈥榙iagnostic tool鈥�

After the event, students talked about connecting with their fellow students in ways they鈥檇 never experienced, and how sharing their own stories helped them move toward healing in their own lives.

The ability to listen and show empathy is a unique diagnostic tool with a different sensitivity than a blood pressure cuff or an EKG machine, said one student.

鈥淏y listening to stories of others, I have been able to see the impact of ACEs on the individuals they are today,鈥� said Wally Al-Kakhan, MA 鈥�15 (biomedicine), adding that the experience helped him understand both himself and his fellow classmates better.

The workshop helped biology major Grayson Mast understand the benefits of a holistic approach to healthcare , as well as contributing to a foundational understanding of psychosocial trauma. 鈥淲e all have moments in our past that have torn us down and made life more difficult. Learning how to affirm someone鈥檚 ability to discuss a traumatic event in their life is really important,鈥� said Mast, who hopes to go to medical school.

When contacted for an interview several weeks after the seminar, Mast said that the workshop was 鈥渙ne of the most important educational events of my first year at EMU.鈥�

Sharing 鈥榙eep鈥� stories

The seminar began with a playback storytelling event that surfaced stories of adverse childhood experiences (known as ACE鈥檚). Playback theater is a kind of collaborative art in which members of the audience volunteer to tell a story and then watch as the actors 鈥減lay back鈥� an interpretation of the event. But before that happened, the group led a series of informal interactions that helped to build community, and to voice and normalize natural tensions and unease about the topic and the format.

鈥淲e heard everything from 鈥業 don鈥檛 understand鈥� to 鈥業t鈥檚 really difficult to talk about this鈥� to 鈥楾his makes me nervous鈥� and even 鈥業鈥檓 irritated that I have to give up my weekend for this,鈥欌�� Foster said.

Although specific stories cannot be shared because of confidentiality, Foster says one general story about a father spending time with his children provides an example of what the audience heard. 鈥淭his seemingly positive story of a really good day was actually very painful, because that parent had been very neglectful, and that one wonderful day was a marker of what this person had been without,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淭he story really opened the audience to the possibilities and the idea that all stories have meaning.鈥�

The next day was dedicated to work in small groups 鈥� telling, listening, and responding to stories. Mike Yoder, co-founder of Guidespring and a facilitator of similar events for 14 years, says he was moved by the depth of responses from the students.

鈥淭o watch them share with their friends and embrace them with really powerful responses was a very moving experience,鈥� Yoder said. 鈥淚 heard them say things like 鈥業 didn鈥檛 know that happened鈥� or 鈥楾hat breaks my heart鈥� or 鈥業鈥檓 amazed that you lived through that but it hasn鈥檛 defined you.鈥� Watching them make those connections, to show sadness for what they鈥檇 experienced but then also identifying with their strength鈥攖hey were truly thrilled by the experience of building those relationships of trust.鈥�

At the end of the seminar, the group participated in a second theater event that focused on audience members鈥� stories of change and resilience.

鈥淲e wanted them to think about strategies to move forward, and the networks of people they rely on to help them move forward,鈥� Stauffer said, linking the students鈥� experiences to what she鈥檚 learned from her research of resilience strategies among domestic violence survivors in communities of homeless women, undocumented Latinas and Mennonite women from Old Order or conservative church communities.

But don鈥檛 despair! Owners of a Chicago watch repair shop know how to easily extract those maddening head clocks. That is, if people don鈥檛 attempt to prolong life by transferring time to another mortal clock.

The quirky, but delightful 鈥淗ickorydickory鈥� opens March 20 in 草莓社区鈥檚 MainStage Theater. The two-hour play, directed by associate professor , will also run March 21, 26, 27 and 28. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the EMU box office at 540-432-4582 or .

鈥淚 have wanted to do this play since before I came to EMU,鈥� Vogel says, who worked with playwright Marisa Wegrzyn at Washington University in St. Louis. 鈥淸I] love her dark and twisted humorous approach to telling life-affirming tales.鈥�

Wegrzyn, who won the 2009 Wasserstein Prize for 鈥淗ickorydickory,鈥� will be on campus for a Q&A after the March 28 performance. She鈥檒l also hold a writing workshop for students on creating complex characters in the MainStage Theater at 2 p.m. on March 28.

Having the playwright watch your performance can be daunting for any actor. Senior Rebekah York, a major, is admittedly nervous about Wegrzyn liking her portrayal of Cari Lee Bliley, but 鈥渢hrilled about her coming.鈥�

To prepare for her role, York began by reading the script several times before focusing on her character鈥檚 lines. 鈥淚 notice words or phrases she repeats, her sentence structure and also try to find where she would put emphasis on certain words,鈥� York says.

Vogel had each actor create a music playlist their character would choose, an activity that York says helps her enter 鈥渕y character zone.鈥�

鈥淲hile listening to the music, I imagine what my character does in her free time, how she interacts at school and what she does with her friends,鈥� York says. 鈥淚 try to get into her mind and fully embody every aspect of her being,鈥� which includes gestures, a walk and voice different from her own.

Vogel also has her cast improvise events that are only referred to in the show. 鈥淭his has been really useful in deepening the relationships between the characters by having the actors live those experiences, not just imagine,鈥� she says.

Prop master Robert Weaver, a sophomore major, has had challenges building props for an old watch repair shop, which 鈥渋sn鈥檛 quite the real world.鈥� Finding mechanical and sprung-wound clocks is difficult in this electronic age. And then there are the props containing blood.

鈥淔iguring out a mechanism that fits into a pocket watch and squirts bloods is definitely an interesting challenge,鈥� he said.

Even though the play is decidedly wacky, its theme of human connections through love and sacrifice is universal.

鈥淭hat lovely theme is in the world of pocket watches that spurt blood, two onstage surgeries and a rude, rebellious teenager who鈥檚 been stuck at age 17 for 18 years,鈥� Vogel says. 鈥淚 hope the audience will recognize themselves in these characters, their willingness to make loving choices even with their very human flaws.鈥�

Chances are those words elicited some kind of emotion.

If you鈥檙e under 30, you may have just looked up or away from your digital device and rolled your eyes.

If you鈥檙e over 30, your facial expression might be an unbidden, but half-amused grimace accompanied by a bit of nodding.

If you鈥檇 like to hear and engage with the author in person, whether to take issue with his stance, and/or to soak up the intellectual discourse of one of the eminent thinkers of the day, you鈥檙e in luck.

Author Mark Bauerlein, an English professor at Emory University, will speak at 草莓社区 Thursday, Feb. 5, on 鈥淭he Humanities in the Digital Age.鈥� Bauerlein鈥檚 talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Strite Conference Room in the Campus Center, followed by a discussion with the audience, including formal responses by , professor of , and , director of residence life.

Bauerlein will also speak at Friday鈥檚 10 a.m. chapel in Lehman Auditorium on 鈥淔rom Atheism to Catholocism.鈥� A talk-back with refreshments follows in Common Grounds from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Bauerlein has taught at Emory University since 1989, with a break in 2003-05 to serve as the听Director of the Office of Research and Analysis, at the National Endowment for the Arts. He has published numerous scholarly works, including an acclaimed account of a 1906 race riot in Atlanta, Negrophobia. In addition, his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Post, Times Literary Supplement, and the Chronicle of Higher Education, where his blog eloquently promotes the humanities.

For a preview of his visit鈥� and to develop a sense of Bauerlein鈥檚 wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation with and among great texts as an enlivened source of consolation, wisdom and revelation 鈥� read ,” published in the magazine First Things (in one sentence, he quotes Sartre, Faulkner and Nietzche, in that order).

That essay, and Bauerlein鈥檚 unique perspective about the relevance of the humanities in the digital age are reasons why , professor of , is pleased to welcome him to campus. Both Bauerlein鈥檚 book and academic studies are closely linked to this year鈥檚 campus Common Read selection, Nicholas Carr鈥檚 The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.

At a time when study of the humanities are under attack, Bauerlein is an ally of the many professors on college campuses who 鈥渁re eager to give students exposure to great texts, images, sounds and ideas,鈥� says Medley, who notes that it鈥檚 not the digital devices themselves that are the problem, but the time-consuming and intense nature of the peer-to-peer relationships they enable. 鈥淚f we can lure them away from their addicting digital devices, we think we can get them hooked.鈥�

Bauerlein鈥檚 lecture is the fourth event in a year-long exploration of the effects of the digital age on education. He joins two other scholars, both from University of Virginia, who have lectured on this theme: Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and author of 鈥淭he Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry), and Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and author of 鈥淲hen Can You Trust the Experts? How to Tell Good Science from Bad In Education.鈥�

Yet Muhammad Afdillah鈥攁 visiting scholar with 草莓社区鈥檚 鈥攃hose this moment, just a week before he returned to his home in Indonesia, to begin to heal himself. He recounted a story involving physical and psychological injury.

Then he watched as Inside Out, 贰惭鲍鈥檚 resident troupe, improvised a tense narrative of violence, friendship, loss, physical and emotional scarring, and finally, hope of reconciliation. Afdillah wasn鈥檛 the only watcher who had wet eyes by the end.

Empathy from the audience

It may have helped that other storytellers had shared before鈥攕ome with halting speech and others interspersing laughter with words鈥攐f surviving cancer, of stitching a wedding dress for a beloved stepdaughter, of making friends and enduring goodbyes.

It may have helped that he knew some of the actors鈥� all EMU students, faculty or graduates鈥攁nd even some of the audience, most of whom were participating in the or the training.

鈥淭hat might have helped,鈥� Afdillah said later. 鈥淏ut it was for me. It was the right time. I was trembling, but my heart was telling me this.鈥�

Though Inside Out has 鈥減layed back鈥� stories from a variety of audiences, including sexual abuse survivors and college students recently returned from cross-cultural experiences, the May 21 event was the first time the troupe hosted a storytelling session for this particular group.

Playback theater helps its participants understand and reflect upon their experiences, says EMU professor , who co-founded Inside Out in 2011. 鈥淭hat simple act of sharing stories and seeing them played back, seeing it out there, allows processing. It is harder to work for healing when it鈥檚 all in your head. In addition, there鈥檚 a tremendous connection between people in the audience who see that story and have a similar experience to share.鈥�

A “conductor” facilitates the process

Making those connections is the role of an actor called the conductor, who facilitates the storytelling of a volunteer audience member, gathers more information through questions, and then helps to 鈥渟hape鈥� the story before turning it over to the actors with the invitation, 鈥淟et鈥檚 watch.鈥�

At this event, Bridget Mullins was the conductor, and the actors included fellow CJP students Fabrice Guerrier and Matt Carlson; EMU alumni Liz Gannaway, Brandon Waggy, and Tonya Osinkosky; and troupe co-founder . Vogel, who also participated, said most of the actors had participated in STAR training or were familiar with concepts related to trauma awareness, resilience, and peacebuilding.

鈥淭his is applied theater,鈥� Vogel said, 鈥渘ot theater for entertainment. It鈥檚 theater for social justice and understanding. A lot of people don鈥檛 understand playback theater until they attend a storytelling session, and when they see it, they realize the big possibilities.鈥�

Afdillah had no idea of its life-changing potential when he was invited by a fellow SPI participant to attend the performance. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really like theater,鈥� he said with a laugh later.

A faculty member at in Indonesia, Afdillah researches and lectures on socio-religious conflict and politics. He collects data, supervises graduate students, collaborates with other peacebuilders and policy-makers, and admits that, like many others in his field, he rarely takes the time for himself.

For the last six months on campus, during spring semester classes and courses at the Summer Peacebuilding Institute, Afdillah began to 鈥渕editate and think about my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n my work, I tell people to deal with their trauma, to let it go. But I have my own trauma, my own problems. At the end, watching the story was almost the same as what I experienced, the tragedy. I feel the pain. I don鈥檛 know how this story ends, but this is starting to be ready for an ending.鈥�

Seven-day course offered through SPI

The potential for healing dialogue through playback theater will be highlighted in a seven-day SPI course, 鈥�,鈥� from June 5-13. The course will be taught by two pioneers of playback theater, Jo Salas and Ben Rivers.

This is not the first time applied theater for this purpose has been taught at SPI: Rivers attended in 2011 to take courses and facilitate informal workshops and in 2012, Armand Volkas, a playback theater and dramatherapy practitioner from California, led a course.

“Many people, including Ben Rivers, have used playback theater in communities that have experienced violence and trauma,鈥� said , Center for Justice and Peacebuilding program director. 鈥淪PI provides a space for people to learn these techniques for working with communities and a place for practitioners to reflect on what works and what does not work when using applied theater tools in conflict situations.”

Farshid Hakimyar, a CJP graduate, is enrolled in the upcoming course. He plans to explore the potential of playback theater for his work in his native Afghanistan. Telling a story to the Inside Out troupe was his first personal experience with the technique.

鈥淚 told a story of hearing a traumatic story about domestic violence, and in hearing it, I experienced secondary trauma,鈥� Hakimyar said. 鈥淚 could not breathe, I could not think, I went from sharing with my friends about music and light and the good of humanity, to hearing this story of this father losing his child in this horrible way.鈥�

On stage that night, three actors portrayed the trajectory of Hakimyar鈥檚 emotions as he struggled to understand 鈥渢he lightness and darkness inside each of us.鈥�

“To feel such relief”

鈥淚t was a really powerful experience to watch this and to feel such relief,鈥� Hakimyar said. 鈥淧layback theater and generally arts play a key role in any efforts. I think it can engage more people in how they can express their feelings in peaceful and non-violent ways about corruption, lack of transparency, and their government, and how they dream for the future.鈥�

Docherty says SPI is committed to the continued exploration of applied theater tools like playback theater to situations of conflict, violence and trauma.

鈥淲e see this as a growing focus of our program,鈥� she said, adding that at least one course in theater and one in media is planned at SPI in 2015.