Theatre arts program’s original play to be recognized in celebrated college festival

In the fall of 2023, Salve Regina’s theatre arts program staged an original devised play, “The Banned Books Club,” in McKillop Library. The play is now being recognized by the northeast regional division of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF).

“Last year, Salve was the only college in the country to win a distinguished devising award at the national KCACTF,” said Dr. Tara Brooke Watkins, assistant professor and program coordinator. “This means that Salve’s program is becoming known and appreciated for our strong ability to create original work through the devising process – a process that is on the cutting edge of where theater is going.”

Devising “The Banned Books Club”

A devised play is created from scratch by actors or community members and does not rely on a pre-determined script. Devising is a complex process, especially for “The Banned Books Club,” according to Sarah Ploskina, adjunct professor and director of the play.

“In the creation of the scripted piece, we reached out to librarians throughout Rhode Island,” Ploskina said. “Their input and willingness to share personal and sometimes harrowing experiences with book challenges was moving and transformational for our understanding. This helped us shift our focus to more specific ways in which book bans impact communities.”

The cast presented early versions of the play’s scenes and engaged in forum theater with the Salve Regina community during Banned Books Week last fall, only three weeks into the entire process. The responses the cast got from those early audiences shaped the script and plan for audience interaction.

When the formal version of the play was performed in October, audience members were able to watch a story unfold with solidified characters, but then the audience was able to go back, pause scenes and ask for new ways in which the story could’ve played out.

“Our formal audiences near the end of the fall semester reinforced the power of the stories and perspectives in the show,” Ploskina said. “Topically, ‘The Banned Books Club’ addresses an intersection of very timely issues: free speech, education, local government, extremism. The combination of the format and content of this play makes the piece a strong example of why theater is still a valuable tool for society.”

Watkins said she is proud of the students who will participate in KCACTF this year – not only for their willingness to tackle an important topic, but also because devising stretches actors in ways that other plays might not.

“I’m proud of how this show stretched the acting, listening, improvisation and risk-taking ability of our students,” she said. “They have to be willing to listen to what an audience member needs from their character and be able to improvise – sometimes in multiple ways – a change from what has been written until audience members feel satisfied with the results.”

The cast wrestles with the issue of banned books through texting conversations during a scene in “The Banned Books Club.”