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Wilson to discuss studying ethics through theatre in Mellby Lecture

By Kari VanDerVeen
September 18, 2009

Professor of Theatre Karen Peterson Wilson ’77 will present the fall 2009 Mellby Lecture, “Exit Pursued by Ethics,” Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Buntrock Commons, Viking Theater. The lecture will be streamed live and archived online. A reception will follow.

Wilson’s lecture will examine whether theatre can be used to study ethics. “Can the theatre raise questions about who we are (our character) and what we do (our conduct)?” she asks. “From the stories and characters to the way we create live productions, the theatre provides unique opportunities to raise important questions and to discuss significant issues of how we live our lives."

Wilson has developed more than fifteen new courses at St. Olaf, including an innovative course titled “Who Owns the Arts? Censorship, Sponsorship, and Artistic Freedom,” in which she blends the study of theatre and ethics. She also has directed more than twenty-five productions for St. Olaf Theatre.

In addition, she was instrumental in the establishment of the Minnesota Playwrights’ Center’s New Plays on Campus program, which brings emerging playwrights to colleges and universities across the country for full-scale productions of their scripts. She has directed three productions for St. Olaf Theatre that she discovered through the program.

As a portfolio reviewer and interviewer for the Minnesota Scholars of Distinction in Theater program, Wilson helps gifted high school students find their way to outstanding college and university theatre programs. She also has served for more than twenty years on the Minnesota High School League as a certified judge for speech and one-act play competitions.

Wilson’s dedication to theatre has been recognized with the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota’s Outstanding Individual Award. She also received an Excellence in Service Award from the state commissioner of education in recognition for her contributions to the Minnesota Academic Standards Arts Revision Committee.

Wilson earned her Ph.D. in theatre at the University of Minnesota, garnering distinctions in philosophy of theatre, acting, playwriting, and dramatic theory. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf.

The Mellby Lectures
The annual Mellby lectures are named in remembrance of St. Olaf faculty member Carl A. Mellby and were established in 1983 to give professors the opportunity to share their research with the public. Mellby, known as "the father of social sciences" at St. Olaf, started the first courses in economics, sociology, political science, and art history at the college. He was professor and administrator from 1901 to 1949, taught Greek, German, French, religion, and philosophy, and is credited with creating the college's honor system.

 

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.