References

Art as Activism: Utilizing an Adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles for Community Education and Outreach with Domestic Violence Survivors and Service Providers

Milbre Burch

DOI : 10.54563/coupdetheatre.1203

p. 87-106

    Abstracts

    This article is based on my performed research in writing and presenting Sometimes I Sing – an original adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles. In these pages, I chart the ongoing impact of Glaspell’s work on the convergence of my scholarship, performance practice and social justice activism over the last fifteen years. What follows initially is the context for that long-lasting impact. Then, I trace my path from adaptation and solo performance of Sometimes I Sing to utilizing the monologue as applied-storytelling-as-advocacy for domestic violence survivors and service providers. This journey offers a template for artist/scholars, their mentors, and community agencies to collaborate in using performance work for social justice applications.

    Cet article s’inspire de la recherche que j’ai effectuée en écrivant et en produisant Sometimes I Sing - une adaptation originale de la pièce en un acte de Susan Glaspell, Trifles. Dans ces pages, je retrace l’impact continu de l’œuvre de Glaspell sur la convergence de mes recherches, de ma pratique du spectacle et de mon militantisme en faveur de la justice sociale au cours des quinze dernières années. Je reviens tout d’abord le contexte de cet impact durable. Ensuite, je retrace mon parcours depuis l’adaptation et la représentation en solo de Sometimes I Sing jusqu’au recours du monologue comme récit appliqué à la défense des survivants de la violence domestique et des prestataires de services. Ce parcours offre un modèle aux artistes/chercheurs, à leurs mentors et aux organismes communautaires pour collaborer à l’utilisation du travail de performance pour des applications de justice sociale.

    Index

    Mots-clés

    violence domestique, violence entre partenaires intimes, artivisme, justice sociale, Trifles

    Keywords

    domestic abuse, intimate-partner violence, art-as-activism, social justice, Trifles

    Excerpt

    This article is based on my performed research in writing and presenting Sometimes I Sing – an original adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s one-act play Trifles. In these pages, I chart the ongoing impact of Glaspell’s work on the convergence of my scholarship, performance practice and social justice activism over the last fifteen years. What follows initially is the context for that long-lasting impact. Then, I trace my path from adaptation and solo performance of Sometimes I Sing to utilizing the monologue as applied-storytelling-as-advocacy for domestic violence survivors and service providers. This journey offers a template for artist/scholars, their mentors, and community agencies to collaborate in using performance work for social justice applications.

    From 2007 to 2014, I was a part-time, nontraditional, graduate student seeking, first, a master’s degree and then, a doctorate in theatre and performance at the University of Missouri (MU). Prior to entering graduate school, I had spe...

    References

    Bibliographical reference

    Milbre Burch, « Art as Activism: Utilizing an Adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles for Community Education and Outreach with Domestic Violence Survivors and Service Providers », Coup de théâtre, 39 | 2025, 87-106.

    Electronic reference

    Milbre Burch, « Art as Activism: Utilizing an Adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles for Community Education and Outreach with Domestic Violence Survivors and Service Providers », Coup de théâtre [Online], 39 | 2025, Online since 01 décembre 2026, connection on 07 septembre 2026. DOI : 10.54563/coupdetheatre.1203

    Author

    Milbre Burch

    A GRAMMY-nominated, spoken-word recording artist, Milbre Burch holds a PhD in theatre and performance from the University of Missouri. An independent scholar and Research Collaborator in American Studies at the University of North Carolina, she publishes her research on the storytelling strategies of playwrights, solo performers and traditional storytellers.