UC Santa Cruz

Theater administrators are tasked with the difficult job of curating performance within community spaces. As America grows more diverse, the task of theater management becomes increasingly politicized. Theater administrators must develop new methods of thought with regard to the great diversification of America in the 21st century.

In this thesis, I hope to elaborate on one such new method: nepantlerx thought. This new epistemological offering reconceptualizes the Nahuatl term nepantla and fuses it with the early writings of Chicano playwright Luis Valdez. In doing so, it presents a method for the promotion of a more inclusive theatrical community space.

After laying the groundwork of nepantlerx thought, this paper explores the implementation of its new epistemology within the context of managing UC Santa Cruz’s Barn Theater during the 2015-16 season. The paper details the successes and failures that arose from collaboration within the space, and utilizes nepantlerx thought to offer solutions that mediate or resolve conflict through empathy and performance.