Fall 2014 CSWS Research Matters:
“The Women and Rivers Project” by Theresa May, Associate Professor, University of Oregon Department of Theatre Arts
A CSWS faculty research grant supports Theresa May’s collaborative creative project on women and rivers, which explores the relationships—both historic and contemporary—of women in the Pacific Northwest to the many rivers of our region. The Fall 2014 issue of CSWS Research Matters looks at the history of Professor May’s research and creative work on women and rivers, including the development and production of the play Salmon Is Everything, and at her current work, which features the residency this spring of prominent Native theatre artist Muriel Miguel.
Professor May says: “Community-based theatre is a methodology that makes use of the art of live performance to amplify the stories and voices that may be missing or marginalized in some public debates. The long-range aim of the Women and Rivers Project is to use community-based theatre to explore and document the contributions of Native and non-Native women of the Pacific Northwest to the health of their communities and environments by using the unique form of creative inquiry of theatre. The project seeks to explore and give expression to the varied experiences, knowledge, and leadership of Native women whose communities have long lived in partnership with rivers of the Pacific Northwest.”
See also: November 10, 2014 “Native Studies Research Colloquium: Theresa May, “Native Theater/Drama and Environmental Justice”
