Third Biennial Conference of the Iberian Theater and Performance Network (ITPN)

Institute of Modern Languages Research (IMLR)

School of Advanced Study, Senate House | University of London

 25-27 June 2020

CALL FOR PAPERS

THEATRICAL PROCESSES

The Third Biennial Conference of the Iberian Theater and Performance Network (ITPN) will focus on the topic of theatrical processes. We are particularly interested in approaching theater and performance as a dynamic and evolving practice of continuous change, regeneration and mobility. Both the dramatic texts and their stage versions have never been viewed as finished products. On the contrary, their richness lies in their unfinished nature and their openness to constant revision, rehearsal and revival. The objective of this conference is to create a dialogue about the creative processes implied in the various ways of working with the play text, the staging practices, the way audiences and critical reception can impact a production, and the many lives of theatre beyond the page and the stage. ITPN aims at creating a forum to exchange ideas among scholars working on different periods of specialization, therefore we encourage contributions that range from the medieval era to the twenty first century with a focus on the Iberian Peninsula.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

• dramaturgy
• translation
• adaptation
• censorship
• performance practices
• audience and critical reception
• remediation into film, television, opera, musical, comic books
• cultural and political appropriations
• artistic failures or successes and their aftermath
• applied theater in educational, outreach and therapeutic projects.

 There will be two ways of presenting at the conference. We invite abstracts for ONE of the two proposed formats (in English or Spanish):

1. Abstracts for a regular 20-minute paper on any topic related to the theme of the conference (in English or Spanish).
2. Abstracts for a 10-minute paper to participate in one of the two proposed working groups.

There will be 2 working groups, each focusing on a specific theme proposed by the organizers. Each working group will feature 4 participants who will present a summary of their papers for 10 minutes followed by a roundtable discussion with the rest of the group members and audience. The conference organizers will receive and circulate the papers in advance, and facilitate the discussions among the participants of each working group. The following are sample questions meant to guide one on the topic that each group will cover:

WORKING GROUP 1: TRANSLATION AS RENEWAL:

What contributes to this constant process of renewal in terms of dramatic works? What does it mean when a translated play resists fixity and remains open to change? What are some of the challenges for the translator, the reader, the actor and the director when there are multiple translations of a single play?

 WORKING GROUP 2: THE LIMITS OF ADAPTATION:

What are the limits and challenges of adaptation? Why do adaptations need to be justified or even defended in many cases? Why do we continue to find reticence towards the adaptation of canonical plays? What can justify a radical adaptation of a play or even a re-writing from the stage?

Submitting proposals:

• To submit an abstract proposal not exceeding 250 words to the program committee, click here.
• The deadline for submissions is 1 June 2019.
• Since space is limited and there will be no parallel sessions, all abstracts will be peer-reviewed and notifications of accepted proposals will be confirmed by 1 July 2019.

 We will bring out a special issue of Journal of Romance Studies. Selected articles will be evaluated using a double-blind peer-review process. Instructions for submitting the completed manuscript article will be announced at a later date.

This conference will have a registration fee of 90 GBP.

Conference Organizers:

María Chouza-Calo (Central Michigan University, USA) chouz1m@cmich.edu 

Esther Fernández (Rice University, USA) ef14@rice.edu

Jonathan Thacker (University of Oxford, UK) jonathan.thacker@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk