W&M Featured Events
[PAST EVENT] Camp and Community Stories: A Wild Romp Down Memory Lane
Access & Features
- Registration/RSVP
This weekend workshop/masterclass will bring students and community members together to devise and co-create new theatrical escapades! Inspired by historical sources from the William & Mary archives, oral histories, tricorne hats/feather boas, and participants' own stories, this masterclass will devise original performances. We'll time-travel through community history and stories to explore the past, present, and future of William & Mary’s LGBTQ+ community.
Beyond playing dress up with campy accessories, participants will learn practical tools for community engagement that can be used in a wide range of environments. This kind of theatre grows from a long tradition of grassroots theatre and participatory democracy. We operate on the principle of “whoever comes, is.” You do not need prior theatre or history experience for this experience.
All are welcome in this class, but the hands-on nature of the work limits the class to no more than 25 people. Please register via this Google Form: https://forms.gle/4vTo9pSVdvGoCNys5
We will meet 3:00-7 pm on Friday, March 21 (dinner provided) and then from 9:00 – 6:00 on Saturday, March 22 (lunch provided). Participants should be prepared to commit to the entire class.
Facilitator: Ashley Sparks is an award-winning southern theatre maker, engagement strategist, facilitator, collaboration coach and consultant. Sparks holds an MFA in Directing and Public Dialogue from Virginia Tech and has worked across the US from urban environments like New Orleans and Los Angeles to rural towns like Stuarts Draft and Eureka. As a director, Sparks makes site-specific devised work and participatory events that may involve line dancing, community singing, or other things that instigate giggling and joy. Theater-making is a method for rehearsing democracy, and Sparks' practice weaves hospitality and complex conversations together in service of creating more just and beautiful futures.
Sponsored by: The Charles Center, History, Department of Theatre & Performance, GSWS, Sharpe Community Scholars
Contact
Jay Watkins, jwatkins@wm.edu