NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Leah Jackson (jacksonl@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
3/20/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES - Eliane Spaar of Covington and Elizabeth Maxwell of New Orleans were recognized as winners of the 2008 Student Research Award at Northwestern State University. The awards were presented during the university’s 21st annual Research Day sponsored by Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the NSU Research Council and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Student Research Awards are presented to recognize the outstanding research, distinguished artistic performance, or creative work completed by a student or team of students while enrolled at NSU. To be considered, students must be nominated by an NSU faculty member.
Spaar’s topic, “Knowing the Unknown: How the West Others the East,” critiques Edward Said’s notion of Orientalism from a feminine perspective. Spaar is a student in the Louisiana Scholars’ College majoring in liberal arts with a concentration in humanities and social thought. Spaar was nominated for the award by Dr. Holly Stave
Spaar said she noticed in movies and television consistent stereotypes that people of Western cultures have of Eastern cultures, particularly the Middle East, and suggests that those perceptions parallel gender attitudes among men and women.
“A friend gave me a copy of ‘Orientalism’ and read a lot of [the works of 20th century psychoanalyst Carl Gustav] Jung and notice the projections. After taking a feminist theory class, I realized a connection between those stereotypes,” Spaar said.
Spaar’s faculty advisor Dr. Holly Stave described the thesis as “bold and novel.”
Maxwell’s topic was titled “A New Point of View: Fresh Ideas on How and Why We Create the Art of Theatre” and explores the possibilities of a new uniquely American, socially relevant theatre. She, too, is a Louisiana Scholars’ College student with a double major in liberal arts with a concentration in humanities and theatre with a minor in dance. Her research topic examines the works of theatre practitioners Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal and Jerzy Grotowski culminated into Anne Bogart’s new theatre in which improvisation provides a vocabulary for thinking about and acting upon movement and gesture.
“I have always been interested in why we create theatre,” Maxwell said. “I analyze Brecht, Boal and Grotowski and then refute their theories and examine why Bogart is the center of redefining the theatre.”
Dr. Frank Schicketanz, Maxwell’s faculty advisor, said her work seeks “to do more than just add to the body of knowledge. She uses theatre as an instrument to change people’s thinking and their actions”
Maxwell’s theories will be open for interpretation as she and fellow students present “d’Construction” in NSU’s Theatre West April 3-5.
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