"Performing mind, heart, and place."

Mission: Perspectives in Performance is a collaboration between the Department of Theatre & Dance, the Truth, Community Healing, and Transformation Faculty Fellows, the Office of Community Building and Connections, and the Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. The purpose of Perspectives in Performance is to bring exciting and provocative artists to Sewanee whose work addresses communal belonging, dialogue across difference, and the variety of human experience. Perspectives in Performance will present these professional artists within programs that facilitate meaningful conversations with students, faculty, staff, community members, and participants. By producing high-quality theatre, Perspectives in Performance will enrich student exposure to a broad range of voices not easily accessible on the domain. Perspectives in Performance’s dynamic programming will guide Sewanee beyond considering mind, heart, and place into performing it.

What's the latest? 

In addition to its roster of student-led performances, Sewanee Theatre and Dance’s 2025-26 season includes an exciting new component: the first production in the Perspectives in Performance (PIP) series, Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties.

PIP in the Press

Read about PIP's production of The Niceties

What's Next?

at Sewanee | The University of the South
presents The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse (Sicangu Lakota)
directed by Sierra Rosetta (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe)
Performances November 5-7, 2026

Seeking non-AEA actors for all characters in The Thanksgiving Play. Must be present for all rehearsals and performances. Actor fee: $1800 stipend.
 
Use this form to submit a self-tape by midnight, August 2nd. Please reach out to producer Sarah Lacy Hamilton (slhamilt@sewanee.edu) with any questions.

Synopsis: The Thanksgiving Play is a sharp satirical comedy by MacArthur Genius Fellow, Larissa FastHorse. When school teacher Logan is tasked with creating a "culturally sensitive" Thanksgiving pageant, she assembles a team of well-meaning collaborators: her yoga-enthusiast boyfriend Jaxton, fellow teacher and aspiring playwright Caden, and Alicia, an actress newly arrived from Los Angeles. As the group struggles to create the "perfect" production without offending anyone, their efforts spiral into increasingly hilarious (and painfully recognizable) disaster. Through biting humor, FastHorse exposes the contradictions of performative allyship, liberal guilt, and the ways American institutions continue to misunderstand and erase Native voices.
No prior knowledge of Indigenous history or theatre is required. Instead, curiosity and a willingness to engage thoughtfully with the material is essential.
 
Production information, including character descriptions and rehearsal calendar, is available here.

About

A collaborative effort between many University offices, the purpose of PIP is to bring exciting and provocative artists to Sewanee whose work addresses communal belonging, dialogue across difference, and the variety of human experience.

“PIP is dedicated to performing mind, heart, and place,” says Dr. Britt Threatt, Asst. Professor of English

Participating departments include: the Department of Theatre and Dance; the Truth, Community Healing, and Transformation (TCHT) Center; the Office of Community Building and Connections; and the Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEOT).

“With PIP, we have an opportunity to bring diverse professional artists to campus to produce work that deals directly with issues of identity and belonging,” says Hamilton. “By experiencing these questions and conversations through the play, we are offered a framework through which all of us can have a deeper conversation after the show ends.” - Prof. Sarah Lacy Hamilton, Asst. Professor of Theatre

The goal of the Perspectives in Performance series is to engage students, faculty, staff, and community members in meaningful conversation with one another and with the performance participants. All performances include opportunities for facilitated discussion, led by Title IX Coordinator.