By Ethan Shea

On Friday, Nov. 12, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Professor Bess Rowen will be giving a talk in room 205 of Falvey Library as a part of the Scholarship@Villanova program. All Scholarship@Villanova talks are sponsored by Falvey and serve the purpose of recognizing research contributions of Villanova faculty members. This tradition has been ongoing since 2004, and all presentations continue to be free and open to the public.

Professor Rowen received her MA in Performance Studies from New York University and her PhD in Theatre and Performance from The Graduate Center at CUNY. Her talk is titled “Impossible Things Are Happening Every Day: The Possibilities of Impossible Stage Directions.”

Dr. Rowen has published a book-length study on stage directions, making her the perfect speaker for this talk focused on scripts’ unspoken lines. Professor Rowen’s book is titled The Lines Between the Lines: How Stage Directions Affect Embodiment, and copies will be available for purchase at the talk.

Because of the inherent limits of the stage’s physical space, stage directions may seem impossible to fulfill at times, but Rowen claims this impossibility creates unique opportunities for creativity. In addition to stage directions, Rowen is interested in gender and sexuality theory, female playwrights, Irish theatre, and theatrical riots.

Falvey Memorial Library has plenty of resources for theatre-loving Villanovans. Within the subject guide for theatre, you can find several databases and access points to various primary sources that will help you find the information you need for your research. Not to mention the countless books concerning theatre on the shelves of Falvey’s stacks!

Now is the perfect time to attend an event focused on theatre. Given that Villanova Theatre’s second production of the season, Beckett Bites, will be performed from Nov. 4 to 14, this talk will be excellent food for thought to supplement your viewing experience, so make sure you don’t miss out on this exciting event!

Ethan Shea is a first-year English Graduate Student at Villanova University and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.