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Stimulating discussion and thought about important issues has been a key component of a theater course that debuted this semester.
In addition to providing instruction in drama, the Performance Art class taught by Suzanne Westfall, professor of English and a theater director at Lafayette, has led students to present issues to their peers through formal presentations and informal “happenings” on campus.
Earlier this month, students gave monologues and individual presentations to an audience of more than 40 at the Gilbert’s café.
Senior Alison Ahart (Phillipsburg, N.J.), a double major in music and English, opened the event by discussing her relationship with her family. A slide show included pictures of her entire family from holidays, her sisters’ weddings, and vacations. She noted that her father, Edward Ahart ’69, put himself through Lafayette and Law School. He is a Lafayette trustee and former president of the Alumni Association.
Ahart also talked about her sisters and their relationship with each other as well as with the rest of the family. Reflecting on herself, she commented on her love of animals, drama, and music. Ahart admitted that she is a woman with flaws, but humorously stated that she had no remaining time to mention them.
Junior Jennifer Carty (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.), an English major, took a more serious approach. The first few minutes featured a slide show of rape statistics regarding college women. Then speaking in character, Carty discussed her connection with rape and incest. In a riveting and highly emotional performance, she talked about an acquaintance from her early teen years who was raped by a fellow high school student.
Carty also was among three Performance Art students who arrived in character at the Black Writers course taught by Ross Gay, Dean of Humanities Fellow. Carty, who is white, posed as a black student; English major Nkechi Mbadugha ’03 (New Brunswick, N.J.) portrayed a half black, half white student named Crissy Asante; and Farisai Maguwah ’03 (Harare, Zimbabwe), a double major in English and economics & business, played Mary Kate, bearing sorority letters.
The contrasting characters posed questions about gender, racism, sexism, and even the war in Iraq. Within minutes, the class reacted to the three students, particularly Carty, who also is a student in Black Writers, and Maguwah’s depiction of the sorority girl stereotype.
“I was very pleased with the students’ reaction to our visit,” says Maguwah. “Everyone appeared to be engaged in the discussion. The class breaks barriers even if it means getting the audience a little upset. Performance Art as a whole is about getting the audience into what is being performed.”
She and Carty agreed that is it acceptable to be confused in a world that is already chaotic.
“Performance art is about discussion and making people look at the many levels of the world and as well themselves,” noted Maguwah. “Shock value is what we are aiming for, which was why each of us came into Professor Gay’s class as people who completely contradicted our true character. I wanted to shock the students.”