John Collins Of Elevator Repair Service Headlines 13th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium

Villanova Theatre and the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) are thrilled to announce the 13th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium (PTRS), featuring a keynote address by John Collins, Artistic Director of the award-winning ensemble theatre company Elevator Repair Service.

The theme of this year's conference is "Adaptation." Presentations will engage a broad range of topics in theatre and drama studies, including but not limited to: Revisions of Classical Texts, Adapting Theatrical Practices, Approaches and Processes for Adaptation, Translation and Adaptation, and Fidelity and Adaptation.

The Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium seeks to highlight the work of theatre scholars and practitioners alike. Join in the conversation that asks some of the nation's most illustrious scholars and innovative practitioners: How do plays grow out of existing text? How do we adapt a work to the stage? How does adaptation work across mediums? What are the different relationships between original works and adaptations? How do we begin to reimagine a well-known text?

PTRS will take place on Friday, May 3, 2019 in Bartley Hall 1010 and on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at Villanova Theatre (in Vasey Hall). There will be a lunch break, and a reception following John Collins's keynote speech at 5:15 pm. Admission is free to the public but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. A detailed schedule is available on the event's website: ptrs.villanova.edu.

Elevator Repair Service (ERS) is an award-winning theatre ensemble founded in 1991 by Artistic Director John Collins. The company's work combines a broad range of sources from found material, to literature and conventional plays with elements of slapstick comedy, hi-tech and low-tech design, and the group's own highly developed style of choreography. ERS has authored an extensive body of work which includes nineteen original theatrical productions. Recent works include Everyone's Fine with Virginia Woolf and Gatz, which Ben Brantley of The New York Times called, "The most remarkable achievement in theatre not only of this year but also of this decade."

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