2017年10月， 基特·泰勒19 was just a few weeks into her semester abroad program at the University of Roehampton in London. The 戏剧艺术 major was meeting students from all over, seeing theater productions in one of the greatest cities in the world, and trying to figure out a topic for a solo performance for her Performing Nonfiction class. That’s when she heard reports of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.
She discovered that a high-school friend of hers had been on-site during the shooting and made it out alive. But the incident left Taylor feeling vulnerable. 更重要的是, she wanted to explore the emotions surrounding the shootings that have become the tragic reality of her generation’s childhood. 她的舞台剧， 大规模枪击事件:美国如何应对.S. 失败本身，出生了.
The production started out as a 10-minute nonfiction solo performance for her class in London. 在研究这部剧的过程中, she spoke to people from all walks of life to gain the fullest mosaic of thoughts, 情感和故事. While she thinks it will be especially relatable to young people, she views the production as a way to engage all generations.
Taylor has since reworked the piece into a longer format inspired by playwright Anna Deavere Smith, 谁写的 镜中的火焰 关于1991年纽约皇冠高地暴乱的报道. “I modeled my play after her style: short monologues and flash vignettes from different people’s perspectives,泰勒说。. “There aren’t exchanges between characters; I thought it was more important to give each character a moment to share their voice than to create a plotline.”
Taylor has received positive feedback along the way from students, professors and the members of the Transit 剧院 Troupe (a student organization that produces original or rarely produced theater) who have been helping her update the production and get it ready for a multi-actor campus performance. “到目前为止, 我是唯一表演过的人, so I’m really looking forward to seeing someone else take it and put their own spin on the words I’ve written,泰勒说。.
Her message to her audience is not a rallying call but an opportunity to reflect. “I’m not naïve enough to think that one play can change the world, but I do hope that one play can change people’s thought patterns — make them be a bit more empathetic to what our society feels,泰勒说。. “最终, I hope my play gets people interested in educating themselves more and learning what has and hasn’t been done to change things. 我的戏里没有评判. I don’t condemn people who have differing opinions.”
Taylor appreciates how faculty members in the theater department support student-led efforts. “They treat us like professional coworkers,” she says. 兼职教员 乔伊斯奥尔德里奇 helped Taylor find her true passion within the theater world. “A lot of her focus is on making sure we can run our own theater company one day if we want to, 这很神奇. 她激励我成为一名剧作家, which is a theater historian who works on theatrical productions,泰勒说。.
事实上, 奥尔德里奇指出，泰勒的生产, which speaks out about a generation’s struggles, follows suit with theater’s longstanding tradition, 可以追溯到希腊人, 反映社会挑战. “Cultures developed national theater traditions based on ideas that resonated with people living and struggling with daily problems,奥尔德里奇说. “Audiences benefit from witnessing events played out before them on the stage so that, 当我们的情感参与其中, our minds can reflect on the ideas presented in the play.”
提出想法和表达创造力, 无论是在舞台上还是在教室里, 帮助学生在圣. 爱德华的 for whatever they may do down the road. “A theater program provides the environment in which students may take risks, 失败，再次冒险,奥尔德里奇说. “Opportunities for student success happen every day as we study in class, 下班后排练, 合作创造, and network in a supportive industry that looks forward to our graduates finding their place in the world.”
Taylor is confident that her time on campus is helping her build the skill set she needs to succeed in the coming months. 她给别人的忠告? “If you have a passion, if you have a story to tell, start writing. Don’t be afraid to talk with your professors and your classmates about your work, because everyone is so supportive and really wants to help you. 你只要开口问就行了.”
文/丽莎·蒂格斯
摄影:Whitney Devin ' 10