Hogan, Jake. Omasta, Matt. James, Nicole. Sase, Tanner. Felty, Aubrey. Lewis, Cassidy. Nielson, Madi. (Utah State University)
The goal of this project is to create a devised theatre performance by and about LGBTQIA+ people in Cache County. The project is essential because it creates a sense of inclusion for participants, promotes a better understanding of LGBTQIA+ people for audience members, and creates the notion these individuals’ stories deserve to be shared, understood, and valued. This project will be accomplished through an artistic theatrical process known as Devised Theatre. Devising is a subgroup of the larger genre of Applied Theatre, which attempts to promote and bring about social change through theatre. By doing this project, members of the LGBTQIA+ population in Cache Valley will have the opportunity to speak about and perform intricacies of the issues that they uniquely face. Challenging and overcoming oppression on college campuses is important for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and society more broadly.
The central research question for this project is: “How do members of the LGBTQIA+ population in Utah’s Cache County understand, process, and interact with individuals and institutions they encounter on a regular basis?