"Has Theatre ever been Secular?" (10/17/14; ATHE, Montréal, Québec, 30 July- 2 August 2015)

full name / name of organization: 
Jill Stevenson
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"Has Theatre Ever Been Secular?"
Session for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education's 2015 Conference
30 July-2 August, 2015; Montréal, Québec, Canada

In We Have Never Been Modern, sociologist Bruno Latour has proposed that the Modern Constitution is erroneously founded upon "the absolute dichotomy between the order of Nature and that of Society," with the result being that moderns must construct vast amounts of "hybrids" between the two. The falsity of this foundational distinction means that we have, in fact, never been modern. Inspired by Latour's model of inquiry, this session asks related questions with respect to performance and religion: Has theatre as praxis and institution ever been secular? What exactly does secularism mean for the arts? Have we simply forgotten those sacred roots that shoot through contemporary modes of operation? Are those dogmatic principals or transcendent propositions to which we still subscribe truly "secular"?

Craig Calhoun has said of secularism that it, like religion, is never singular. Moreover, secularisms are never the mere "neutral" absence of religion, but each instance should instead be seen as "a presence. . . . something we need to think through." Religiosity is not merely subtracted from the equation of "secular" societies, but is still present in boldly outlined and sublimated forms, and often finds its way into the heart of liberalist claims to such concepts as inalienable rights.

This session invites submissions that reflect upon our own assertions, assumptions, and ideologies about secularism in relation to theatre and performance. Possible topics of research might include, but are not limited to:
- Religious resonances in "secular" theatre
- The turn to identity and community in performance as a mode of religious communion
- Ecology and performance as devotion to transcendent or universal aims
- "Secularized" eschatology
- Breakdowns between religion and secularity in performance
- Historical ruptures or attempts to define a secular theatre against its religious origins
- Performance that aims to invoke the secular or aid in secular politics
- The use of performance to undergird or deconstruct divisions between Western secularism and Fundamentalism

The session organizers are open to traditional conference-length papers, as well as other forms of research presentation. Please send a one-page abstract and brief bio to both Scott Venters (scottv5@uw.edu) and Jill Stevenson (jillstevenson@gmail.com) by October 17th. Feel free to email the organizers with questions. For information about ATHE and the 2015 conference, please visit: http://www.athe.org/