Five and a Half Feet and Fearsome
2 November 2018 Five and a Half Feet and Fearsome
Shannon Savard 15, MAT 16 will perform Five and a Half Feet of Fearsome, a comedy written, directed and starring Savard in the McDonald Theatre of the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3.
Five and a Half Feet of Fearsome is a satire that tackles the hysteria, confusion and complexity surrounding transgender bodies in America today. Savard will share reflections on Judy Blume, the Texas Senate bill protecting transgender people, middle-aged white male doctors and Bertha the angry Uterus.
A Ph.D. student, graduate teaching assistant, dramaturg and director in the Department of Theatre at Ohio State University, Savard studies issues at the intersection of gender identity and theatre. This spring, they completed a master of arts in theatre after conducting extensive archival research and interviews to uncover histories of gay and lesbian theatres in the Midwest fortheir thesis, Growing Tribes: Reality Theatre at Columbus Gay and Lesbian Community.
At the Colleges, Savard graduated with a B.A. in English and theatre, and earned a master of arts in teaching.Their masters thesis was titled Let Me Queer This Up for You: LGBTQ-Inclusive Pedagogy and Curricula.
On Friday, Nov. 2 Savard will also offer a pre-show Frame/Works talk titled Inside Jokes: Queer Humor, Community Building and Activism at 4:30 p.m. in Williams 201. The talk will focus on the ways in which LGBTQ performance has historically functioned as a space for community, resistance and healing, and how the legacy of queer humor has influenced Five and a Half Feet of Awesome.They will also hold a discussion after the performance on Saturday.
Tickets are free and can be picked up in advance at the Gearan Center box office on Thursday, Nov. 1 or Friday, Nov. 2 between 2-5 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door. For more information, contact Associate Professor of Theatre Chris Woodworth at cwoodworth@hws.edu.