Theatre class takes discussion to cyberspace

This semester, the "Theatre and Social Change" class is trying something new, or as Assistant Professor of Theatre Stephanie Burlington puts it, "a total experiment." The class has created an Internet blog in response to My Name is Rachel Corrie, a play about a 23-year-old American peace activist killed in Palestine in 2003.

Rachel Corrie was part of the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian organization committed to resisting Israeli occupation. She was run over by an Israeli Army bulldozer when she attempted to stop it from destroying a Palestinian's home in Gaza. My Name is Rachel Corrie, based on Corrie's e-mails and letters, was created by actor/director Alan Rickman and journalist Katharine Viner. The one-woman, award-winning play debuted in London, and created major controversy earlier this year when it was set to release in the U.S. It is finally making an off-Broadway debut.

''The students are really moved by Rachel's words,'' said Burlington. ''We are all thrilled with this project.'' Through weekly Web postings and audio podcasts of the play, Burlington and her students are hoping to get out there and ''bring theatre to the masses,'' as well as discuss Corrie's death and the complexity of the Israel and Palestine conflict.

Today's communication tools, including Internet blogs, cell phones and e-mail, are commonplace for college students. ''The web tends to be our primary source of communication these days and, as students, we are always on our computers,'' said Lindsey Ford '08, a student in the theatre class.

''As a class, our goal is to reach out to other people,'' said Ford. ''Students are more likely to find a few minutes to log on to our Web blog than they are to attend a show. For something as intense and as modern as My Name is Rachel Corrie, it's especially cool because we can reach a much larger audience than if we were just performing at Wheaton.''

The ''Theatre and Social Change'' course investigates issues including race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class, religion and politics through theatre. ''I challenge them [the students] to think non-linear about an issue,'' said Burlington. ''I encourage a response on an emotional and intellectual level.''

And it works. For Ford, the class ''truly provokes thought.'' Burlington selects the plays for their social content, such as Tony Kushner's Angels in America, and has her students read and then respond in a creative way.

''The students write poems, create collages, a sculpture or perform, and with this particular play, they have created the blog,'' she said. ''Although it's a theatre class, not all the students have a theatre background.'' The class, comprising mostly juniors and seniors, examines six plays a semester that challenge them to ''think outside the box,'' said Burlington.

The blogs provide a glimpse into a Wheaton classroom, a place that Ford calls ''incredibly vibrant.'' Because the topics discussed in ''Theatre and Social Change'' are intense, Ford said everyone has a lot to say and ''there's seldom a dull moment.''