ASHLEY WILLIAMSON
EDUCATION
2019 Ph.D. Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Toronto.
Dissertation: Living History Performance: The Work of Historical Interpreters, Animators, and Re-enactors Supervisor: Nancy Copeland
2011 M.A. Theatre Studies, York University
Praxis Project: The Eye of Ra is Above the Door: A Sound Walk through theROM’s Egyptian Gallery
2009 B.A. (Honours), English and Drama, Queen’s University
2000 B.A. Drama, Queen’s University
PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATION
Sept 2021- Dec 2022 Education Department Co-ordinator, The Stratford Festival
2001–2007 Founder and Co-ordinator, Theatre Arts Programme, Mentor College Secondary School.
TEACHING
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Nov 2022 The Stratford Festival Michigan Residency, Wharton Art Centre and Michigan State University
Spring 2022 Teaching Artist Training Program, The Stratford Festival
Spring 2021 Methods for Teaching The Arts, College of Education, Niagara University
Fall 2020 Canadian Theatre History, University of Toronto (Mississauga)
Spring 2020 Methods of Teaching Heath, PE and the Arts, College of Education, Niagara University
2017–2018 Oral Presentation Skills, Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, University of Toronto
TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP
Winter 2019 Contemporary Documentary Theatre, University of Toronto
Fall 2018 Storying the Possibilities: Talking Treaties and Rehearsing (Re)conciliation, University of Toronto
2013–2017 Traditions of Drama and Theatre, University of Toronto (Mississauga)
Winter 2010 Theatre in the Age of Film and Television, Queen’s University
2008–2010 Introduction to Drama, Queen’s University
WORKSHOPS GIVEN
9 July 2022 & 12 Aug 2022“Richard III: Then and Now”, The Stratford Festival Archives
10 Jul 2022 “Storytelling and Little Women”, The Stratford Festival
12 Jul 2019 “Thinking Through Writing: a workshop for preparing an undergraduate essay”, University of Toronto, (Scarborough)
12 Mar 2019 “Living History Performance in Canada: Exploring the Possibilities in the 21c”, York University
INVITED TEACHING
15 Feb 2022 “The Stratford Festival, Teaching Artists and Teaching Beyond the Classroom”, DRAM 211: Theatre for Young People: Dan School of Drama and Music, Queen’s University (Zoom)
10 Nov 2021 “Effective Online Project Presentation Skills for Civil Engineers”, CIVL 400: Capstone Design Project, Department of Civil Engineering, York University (Zoom)
12 Mar 2021 “Robert LePage, Total Theatre and Canada’s International Theatre Profile”, DRAM 321: Histories and Theories of Directing: Dan School of Drama and Music, Queen’s University (Zoom)
25 Nov 2020 “Effective Oral Presentation Skills for Engineers in the Age of Zoom”, CIVL 400: Capstone Design Project, Department of Civil Engineering, York University (Zoom)
22 Oct 2020 “How Do You ‘Update’ History? Museums in the 21c”, THST 5022: Theatre Studies Department, York University (Zoom)
19 Mar 2020 “Strategies for Undergraduate Writers”, DRAM 200: Theatre History and Literature, Dan School of Drama and Music, Queen’s University (cancelled due to global pandemic)
6 Nov 2019 “Effective Oral Presentation Skills for Engineers”, CIVL 400: Capstone Design Project, Department of Civil Engineering, York University
19 Jul 2019 “Thinking Through Writing: a workshop for preparing an undergraduate essay”, ENG C07: Canadian Drama, University of Toronto (Scarborough)
12 Jul 2019 “Brad Fraser, Unidentified Human Remains, and Western Canadian Drama”, ENG C07: Canadian Drama, University of Toronto (Scarborough)
12 Mar 2019 “Living History Performance in Canada: Exploring the Possibilities in the 21c”,THST 5022: Performing Memory and Memorial, Theatre and Performance Studies, York University
2 Nov 2017 “Tompson Highway and His Rez Sisters”, ENG 214: Twentieth Century Drama, University of Toronto (Scarborough)
25 Oct 2017 “Living History Performance in Canada”, DR1105HF: Performing History, Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies, Graduate Unit, University of Toronto (St. George)
14 Nov 2016 “Where my Girls At? Restoration Theatre, Aphra Behn and Women in the Public Sphere”, DRE/ENG 121: Traditions of Drama and Theatre, University of Toronto (Mississauga)
25 Nov 2015 “Hey Ladies: 18th Century English Theatre, A Bold Stroke for a Wife, and Ladies in Public”, DRE/ENG 121: Traditions of Drama and Theatre, University of Toronto (Mississauga)
14 Mar 2010 “The Meta-Theatrical Universe of John Mighton’s Possible Worlds”, DRAM 205: Theatre in the Age of Film and Television, Queen’s University
INVITED TALKS
23 Apr 2020 “Bite-Sized Research Talks”, Research and Awards Committee, York University Libraries "Bite-Sized Theatre Science: A Play in Three Acts"
CONFERENCE ACTIVITY
ORGANISED PRAXIS
23 May 2020 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, UQUAM *due to the global pandemic, the workshop was made into a 30-minute immersive performance experience that debuted in July 2020 on CATR website: “Williamson and Denton Investigate: Theatre Science”
PANEL ORGANISER
29 May 2018 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, Queen’s University “Toward A Canadian Can(n)on: the Role of Living History in Recognizing, Resisting and Remaking a national historical narrative”
PRESENTED PAPERS
Feb 2016 Festival of Original Theatre, University of Toronto “A Woman, Her Musket, and a Whole Lot of Verisimilitude: My Time as an 1812 Battle Re-enactor”
2 Jun 2015 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, University of Ottawa “A Strange Brew: Heritage Performances, Canadian History, and the Alexander Keith’s Brewery Tour”
ROUNDTABLES
9 Jul 2021 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, Digital Conference “Wait, does that need to be an Essay? Using multi-modal final assessments in drama classes” Pandemic Pedagogy Pop-up
4 Jun 2019 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, University of British Columbia “A Thwarted Historiographer (formerly, 1978: Buddies in Bad Times, Season One)” Looking Back Queerly: Performing Buddies in Bad Times 40th Anniversary
4 Jun 2019 Canadian Association for Theatre Research, University of British Columbia “Grading Without Grades” Teaching and Learning Cracker Barrel: Designing Effective Assessments
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PEDAGOGY
Nov-Feb 2022 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Intensive, facilitated by Makram Ayache for The Stratford Festival Education Department
15 Apr 2021 Exploring Inclusive Language, facilitated by Dr Ida Gibson, Niagara University
20 & 27 Oct 2020 Anti-Oppression and Theatre Criticism Workshop, facilitated by Makram Ayache, Canadian Theatre Criticism Association
Oct-Dec 2020 Pedagogy Reading Group, facilitated by Ann Gangé, Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, University of Toronto (Mississauga)
Spring 2020 Instructional Design, School of Continuing Education, University of Toronto
10 Oct 2019 Talking to Your Students About Mental Health, CUPE3092, Mental Health Action Committee, University of Toronto.
25 Jun 2019 Preparing Your Teaching Dossier, Teaching Assistant Training Program, University of Toronto.
5 Jun 2019 Current Research on Teaching, Social Science and Humanities Research Council Congress, University of British Columbia.
5 Jun 2019 Strategies for Inclusive Teaching, Social Science and Humanities Research Council Congress, University of British Columbia.
5 Mar 2019 Teaching Queerly, Sexuality and Diversity Studies, University of Toronto.
29 May 2016 Flipping the Theatre Classroom, Canadian Association for Theatre Research Conference, University of Calgary.
4 Dec 2015 Supporting Students in Distress, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
12 Oct 2015 Making Your Syllabus Work for You and Your Students, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
22 Sept 2015 Review Tools and Question Period, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
27 Feb 2014 The Goal is Student Learning: Applying the Principles of Backward Teaching Design, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
20 Jan 2014 Looking Ahead: Documenting Your Teaching, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
27 Oct 2014 Fostering Academic Integrity: Noble Intentions and Sticky Situations, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto.
28 Aug 2014 Teaching Training Day, Teaching Assistant Training Program, University of Toronto.
DIGITAL PEDAGOGY
1 Aug 2019 Digital Writing: Integrations, Apparatus, and Methods, Digital Pedagogy Institute Annual Conference, University of Waterloo.
31 Jul 2019 Developing Outside the Lines: Collaborating to Cultivate a Tool for Assignment Planning, Digital Pedagogy Institute Annual Conference, University of Waterloo.
12 Aug 2018 Quercus Digital Portal Training, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto.
6 Sept 2014 Getting Started: Building Your Portal Course Online, Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, University of Toronto
RESEARCH
KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION
2023 Public History Podcast Project, SSHRC Exchange Grant Funding, Co-host: Dr Timothy Youker
CO-INVESTIGATOR
2019–present Theatre Science Co-investigator: William Denton, York University Libraries
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
2018, 2008-2010 Professor Jenn Stephenson, Queen’s University, Field research (Summer Works 2018), Bibliographic research (contemporary Canadian autobiography), Permissions and editing (Critical Perspectives in Canadian Theatre: Solo Shows, 2012)
2013–2016Dr. Timothy Youker, University of Toronto French translation, Archival research (contemporary American avant-garde)
2012 Playwrights Canada Press, Toronto, Editorial assistantship (New Canadian Realisms, 2012), Bibliographic research, Dramaturgical preparations (Sequence, by Arun Larka, 2014; The Unplugging by Yvette Nolan, 2013)
2010-2011 Professor Laura Levin, York University, Editing (Critical Perspectives in Canadian Theatre: Theatre and Performance in Toronto, 2011), Fact-checking
AWARDS
2014 The Arthur Lindsay Fernie Research Scholarship, Awarded to support a graduate student’s thesis-related travel
2014 The Bryden Award, Awarded to fund a graduate student attending the theatre for research purposes
PUBLICATIONS
Fall 2020 Dr. Canadiana Podcast, Published online: https://www.ashleywilliamson.org/drcanadianapodcast
Spring 2018 “Performing 150: Heritage Theatre and Canada’s Half Birthday” Canadian Theatre Review, issue 174.
Fall 2013 “The Archive on Display: Issues of Curating Performance Remains” Canadian Theatre Review, issue 156.
Fall 2011 “Drama and Desire: Artist and the Theatre” Canadian Theatre Review, issue 148.
SERVICE
2017-2019 Ph.D. Writing Group Facilitator, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto
2018 Local Liaison, Canadian Association for Theatre Research Annual Conference, Kingston ON
2014–2015 Jury Member, Robert Beardsley Award for Young Playwrights, Playwrights Guild of Canada
2013–2016 Chair, Stage Committee, Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
2011–2013 Board Member, Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
THEATRE PRAXIS
20 & 27 Feb 2020 Co-director Theatre Science , Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
8 Feb 2016 Director Staged Readings, Robert Beardsley Awards for Young Playwrights Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
20 Apr 2015 Director Spring Revue: Vamp ‘Til Ready Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
24 Nov 2014 Producer Staged Readings, Robert Beardsley Awards for Young Playwrights Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
22 & 23 Mar 2013 Director Death Clowns in Guantanamo Bay Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Toronto
29 Sept 2012 Lighting Black Light (White Night) Nuit Blanche
14 Apr 2012 Director Titanic: 100 Years Since, Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
2-5 & 9-12 Apr 2009 Director Man of La Mancha Queen’s Musical Theatre
2001-2007 Director The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Running in the Red, Pajama Game, Anything Goes, 7 Stories, The Mikado, Lives of Great Waitresses Mentor College Secondary School
TEACHING INTERESTS
Theatre history: Canadian theatre, Restoration theatre, Classical theatre, Theatrical performance of gender, Performance of History
Dramatic literature: Post-centennial Canadian, Mid-19th Century, Restoration drama, William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw
Praxis: Directing, Acting, Public speaking, Archival research methods, Exhibition development
AFFILIATIONS
2013-present Société québécoise d'études théâtrales
2010- present Canadian Association for Theatre Research
2005- present Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
LANGUAGES
English
French