The InterACT Theatre Project for Social Change
InterACT:
Past Events
Past Events
The following are descriptions of past presentations by The InterACT Theatre Project for Social Change. Each was offered in collaboration with Ohio State's Faculty & TA Development (FTAD). For more information about other FTAD events, click here>>.
Academic Rights and Responsibilities
Students and instructors sometimes differ about what is intellectually relevant to the subject matter of a class and what is personal opinion. In this interactive theatre workshop, the InterACT actors presented vignettes that focused on issues of academic rights and responsibilities, to help event attendees observe some of the interactions that may arise when students feel they have been treated unfairly on the basis of political opinions, religious beliefs, or other personally held tenets. In addition, the vignettes offered examples of situations when instructors believe their students are resisting learning about important subjects, because these challenge the students to examine their prior opinions. The vignettes were followed by discussion of these issues as well as strategies to address them.
Disability in the Classroom
Sketches in this presentation addressed disability policies at Ohio State, as well as general difficulties faced by those with disabilities. After the sketches were performed, the actors remained in character and were involved in an improvisational interactive Q&A with the audience, so that the actors and the audience could continue to dialogue about the issues raised in the sketches. The desired outcome was to raise awareness about Ohio State's disability policies, as well as potential roadblocks that can occur when assisting people with disabilities.
Disruptive and Distressed Students
Behavior that interferes with other students, faculty, or staff and their access to an appropriate educational or work environment is considered disruptive behavior. In this session, we explored the differences between disruptive and distressed students, how to respond to such students in both instances, and how to determine if the response includes new classroom management approaches or intervention.
Gender and Authority in Your Teaching
This program was offered in collaboration with The Women's Place at The Ohio State University. Through an interactive theatre piece, the InterACT Theatre Project for Social Change performed scenarios encountered by women instructors in the classroom. The performance addressed some of the issues that develop in classes where the content is specific to women and/or when the course is more likely to be dominated by one gender. The vignettes also explored issues of gender and authority in the classroom that can lead to confrontational or disruptive behaviors.
Keys to a Successful Advisor/Advisee Relationship in Graduate School
This interactive theatre performance, offered in collaboration with Ohio State's Graduate School, addressed some of the issues faced by advisors and their graduate student advisees. By way of dialogue with the characters, the audience had the opportunity to engage with the following questions:
A Matter of Faith
- What is a successful relationship between a graduate student and her or his advisor?
- What are the graduate student's expectations of her or his advisor?
- Are advisors able to mentor their students with ease, or do students need more than their advisors can give?
This session focused on some of the issues and problems that students and faculty face which are directly related to their faith and/or religious beliefs.
Underrepresented in the Field
In this interactive theatre workshop, event attendees observed vignettes that focused on issues that can arise in disciplines where there is a group that traditionally has been significantly underrepresented. Event attendees discussed how issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and religion, among others, can affect the classroom environment both for students and faculty of the underrepresented groups, and for those in the majority––as well as strategies to create inclusive learning environments for all students.