Writing about the Performing Arts at Ohio State 2019–20

Read featured selections from Writing about the Performing Arts at Ohio State, an interdisciplinary student-led project supported by the Ronald and Deborah Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award. In this yearlong initiative, students from departments across the university responded to the center’s 2019–20 performing arts season with their writing published on this website, in program notes, and in a print publication.

With guidance from Department of Dance Professor Karen Eliot, Manager of Public University Programs Alana Ryder, and Director of Performing Arts Lane Czaplinski, students with backgrounds in biology, classics, creative writing, dance, math, neuropsychology, political science, and beyond served as ambassadors and advocates for the arts. They experienced the challenges of writing about contemporary art while developing observational, analytical, and critical-thinking skills. Students applied performing arts history, theory, and discourse to guide the public through themes such as identity, cultural appropriation, and disability.

This campus partnership will culminate in a forthcoming book containing their essays, reflections, criticism, and interviews—all designed to steer audiences toward more illuminated and critical engagement with contemporary art.

Read more about the people in the 2019–20 program here

If you have any questions about this collaboration, please contact us at edweb@wexarts.org.

• More about the 2018 Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award
• Karen Eliot Wins Ratner Award