In the Aud

A group of Michigan State University students virtually came together throughout fall 2020 to create a series of 5 new audio plays, each connected to the themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Show Notes

A group of Michigan State University students virtually came together throughout fall 2020 to create a series of 5 new audio plays, each connected to the themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As a starting point, we all brought in poetry to share. We read and discussed dozens of poems from diverse artists and used those as a jumping off point. The poetry evoked frank and honest conversations about race, gender, and sexuality, and every member of the ensemble shared deeply moving personal experiences about how these impact the way they move through the world today. We then created scenarios and improvised scenes until the basic structure for each play began to take place. Individuals and groups of students took on the challenge of weaving these experiences into cohesive audio dramas. 

What is In the Aud?

Hosted by Abbie Tykocki & Bri Kubiak

The Department of Theatre has over EIGHT different performance venues on campus; a black box, a proscenium, a thrust, multiple studios, a concert auditorium, and even an outdoor courtyard used for our Summer Circle Theatre productions. Most of these spaces, along with classrooms and design labs, are housed in the historic Michigan State University Auditorium building. A crazy amount of creativity and experiential learning has occurred within the walls of the Auditorium’s Gothic-inspired arches, oak paneling, and marble floors... but as is often the case in the performing arts, the audiences only see the finished product. 

This podcast serves to shine a light on how the faculty and staff of the MSU Department of Theatre are training future practitioners of the performing arts to challenge and redefine traditional theater as an artistic response to an ever-changing world. A look at what happens… In the Aud.