Professor Margaret Laurena Kemp will discuss the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance’s 2018 production of “The Bluest Eye” as part of a Dragon Con presentation about the use of puppets in the performance. Kemp co-directed the production. 

The presentation is set for Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. (EDT)/1 p.m. (PDT) and can be viewed on Dragon Con’s Facebook page. 

Dragon Con will be held online Sept. 3-7. 

Kemp’s presentation, “Rehearsing Truth and Reconciliation: Casting Puppets in ‘The Bluest Eye’,” draws on her inspiration after attending a production of “Ubu and the Truth Commission” that she attended in South Africa and her collaboration with Janni Younge to mount an adaptation of Toni Morrison’s pwerful novel at UC Davis. Building and learning to manipulate the Bunraku-style puppets Younge designed for the production proved an enlightening journey of truth and reconciliation for the young thespians involved. The show garnered four citations at the 2O19 Kennedy Center’s American College Theater Festival.

In this session African American Puppetry scholar, Dr. Paulette Richards interviews Kemp about racial equity in college theater programs, the challenges and rewards of her rehearsal process for “The Bluest Eye,” and using puppets to mediate W.E.B. DuBois’ double consciousness.

The production of Lydia R. Diamond’s adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel was presented in May 2018 and co-directed by puppet creator Younge, Granada Artist-in-Residence, and Kemp, associate professor of theatre and dance. 

Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, pop culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe – and the best place to celebrate all of these things with fellow fans on Labor Day Weekend.

For details about the presentation, please visit the Dragon Con website.