Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Summer 8-26-2025

Faculty Advisor(s)

Jocelyn L. Buckner

Abstract

Contemporary theatrical adaptation involves deconstructing, reimagining, and rewriting historical plays for modern audiences. Adaptation appropriates theatrical conventions, changes the lens through which the audience may view the play, and offers new entry points into thinking and practice. Adaptation asks, “why this source as theatre now?” and proposes that history provides tools for engagement with contemporary issues. By employing a Practice as Research (PaR) methodology, I will investigate the art of historical adaptation and adapt No Exit, a 1945 existentialist play by Jean-Paul Sartre, through the lenses of constructivism and performance studies. I will develop my script through collaborative workshops, stage a formal reading of the final draft, and gather praxis-based knowledge, such as audience feedback and artists’ interpretations of the text, from the final reading. My project explores the following question: how can historical plays help modern audiences respond constructively to current conflicts?

Written during the occupation of Paris in World War II, No Exit was a subversive display of anti-fascist resistance; “a statement of hope despite the terrifying circumstances in which the characters find themselves”. My adaptation, set in the present-day United States, will examine the corruption of democracy, political polarization, and the performance of identity during crisis. As changes reshape the nation’s political, social, and cultural landscape, our collective “ending” feels increasingly uncertain. Yet, Sartre’s message resonates: if you are unhappy with your situation, you must take action. Contemporary adaptations, motivated by the belief that creative production and cultural participation can fortify the best parts of our humanity, allow us to build compassionate, people-centered communities.

Comments

Presented at the 2025 SURF Summer Research Conference.

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