Put Your Best Face Forward: Sturm und Drang and the 4th Wall

Wes D. Pearce
Department of Theatre

26 February 2004

In the spring of 2002 the Theatre Department held a retreat during which we attempted to define our goals and expectations as a department over the next few years.  One important point that emerged from these few days together was the desire, possibly somewhat unexpected, to push our collective research and resources into the public arena. Thus the genesis of what was to become “Beyond the 4th Wall: Aesthetic Distance and Community in the 21st Century” came into being. This presentation was a somewhat wry look at the hot/cold process of putting together the Theatre Department’s first ‘formal’ conference. Curious about what exactly “Beyond the 4th Wall” means? Wondering about organizing your own conference? Questioning as to why someone would says yes to chairing a conference? Inquisitive as to why Aesthetic Distance, the Curtain Razors and New Dance Horizons are all being mentioned in the same breath? These are some of the issues that were dealt with during this public presentation.