[From the Archives] Ep 77: Dr. Valerie Clayman Pye on Practice-as-Research

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On this episode, Katie is joined by Valerie Clayman Pye, an Assistant Professor of Theatre in the School of Performing Arts at LIU Post, where she teaches acting and voice and speech. She holds a PhD in Performance Practice, Drama and an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter, where she worked with Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Valerie’s research focuses on actor training pedagogy, facilitating performances of heightened text, and on practice-as-research (PaR). She writes about the intersection between text and performance and on the dynamics of performance at Shakespeare’s Globe. Her article, “Shakespeare’s Globe: theatre architecture and the performance of authenticity” was recently named one of the most-read articles in the journal Shakespeare in the last three years. She also holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. Valerie is a professional actor and director whose work has reached audiences in over twenty countries. As a voice and speech coach, Valerie has worked in theatre, film, and television coaching Academy, BAFTA, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award nominees. Her book, Unearthing Shakespeare: Embodied Performance and the Globe, was released by Routledge in January 2017.

Show Notes

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Segment 1: Practice-as-Research [00:00-16:40]

In this first segment, Valerie describes the methodology practice-as-research.

In this segment, the following resources are mentioned:

• Pye, V. C. (2014). Shakespeare’s Globe: Theatre architecture and the performance of authenticity. Shakespeare, 10(4), 411-427.
• Pye, V. C. (2017). Unearthing Shakespeare: Embodied performance and the globe. New York: Routledge.

• Konstantin Stanislavski

Segment 2: Engaging in Rigorous Practice-as-Research [16:41-34:13]

In segment two, Valerie shares how researchers using practice-as-research ensure rigor.

In this segment, the following resources are mentioned:

• Studies in Theatre and Performance
• Theatre Topics
• Theatre Survey
• Performance Research
• For more on journaling, listeners may want to refer back to these resources:
  • RIA # 10: Dr. Dannelle Stevens on Journaling Best Practices
  • Stevens, D. D., & Cooper, J. E. (2009). Journal Keeping: How to Use Reflective Writing for Learning, Teaching, Professional Insight and Positive Change. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing
• Nelson, R.(2006). Practice as research and the problem of knowledge. Performance Research 11(4), 105-116.
• Nelson, R. (and Ed.). (2013). Practice as research in the arts: Principles, protocols, pedagogies, resistances. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan
• Freeman, J. (2010). Blood, sweat & theory: Research through practice in performance. UK: Libri Publishing.
• Practice as Research in Performance (PARIP)

Bonus Clip #1 [00:00-3:39]: An Example of Practice-as-Research

Bonus Clip #2 [00:00-02:29]: Valerie Defines the World Reflexive for Her Research

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