UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #763

Overall Research Project Description This project involves exploring the psychological and emotional impact of embodying traumatic characters on Black actors. Using a production of August Wilson's Fences, the project aims to provide comprehensive research support to the director, cast, and production team, ensuring an authentic portrayal of the play’s cultural, historical, and thematic elements. Additionally, the research will delve into how performances that engage with historical and contemporary racial and gender-based trauma affect the mental health and well-being of Black actors. Through a mixed-methods approach, the study will examine factors such as stress, emotional exhaustion, and identity disruption among actors who have portrayed roles involving trauma.
The research will involve a diverse sample of professional and amateur Black actors, with data collected over six months. Research assistants will play a critical role in conducting interviews, administering assessments, and managing the data. Alongside the psychological study, the project will assist in creating audience engagement materials and material for talkbacks to enhance understanding of the play and the research findings. By combining dramaturgical research with an in-depth study of performance psychology, this project will contribute to the literature on Black studies and performance, offering insights into the challenges faced by Black actors and informing strategies to support their mental health in the performing arts industry.