Research Interests
Scholarship
Chelsea holds an MFA in Directing from Baylor University, a program they selected because it underscores the practical application of directing with rigorous theory.
Chelsea continues to prioritize research and scholarship in their private practice.
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Chelsea has presented at Theatre Symposium, Association for Asian Performance (AAP), and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE).
Material Performance and Performing Objects
In Chelsea's 2022 devised piece "Water Composition I," audiences sat in silence waiting for an electric kettle to boil - then gave the kettle a standing ovation when it achieved its task.
Why was the 'performance' of a tea kettle so arresting?
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Read a draft of Chelsea's Performance as Research (PaR) exploration of that question, presented at the 2023 Theatre Symposium conference, here.
Colonial Singapore Theatre
Scholars credit Mrs. Deacle with being 'first professional actress in Singapore.' But was hers truly the first English-language theatre in Singapore?
Chelsea's research led to the (re)discovery of the Gentlemen Amateurs and how they brought English-language theatre to the Singapore Settlement in the summer of 1844.
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Read a draft of the paper, presented at the 2022 Association for Asian Performance (AAP) conference, here.
Contemporary Singaporean Theatre
What does it mean to be Singaporean? As an American who spent the majority of their life in Singapore, Chelsea identifies with the "third culture" experience.
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This essay documents the unique components of contemporary Singaporean pantomime and analyzes how theatre artists in Singapore use the popular form of pantomime to articulate the language, culture, and politics of postcolonial Singapore society.
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Read it here.
Ecocritical Theory
Chelsea's thesis performance of A Monster Calls was largely informed by ecocritical theoretical research they performed prior to beginning the production process.
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Read all about the interconnectedness and deep ecology of the art of direction in their thesis.
