KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 9, 2024

Ebony Golden is a theatre and performance studies major at Kennesaw State University whose project, “Jouvay Women: Rejuvenating Classical Theatre in the Caribbean,” is part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Program.

For her project, Golden works specifically with “Carnival Medea,” written and directed by Shirlene Holmes, which is a retelling of the classic play, Medea by Euripides. 

This new adaptation is set in Trinidad rather than the original Greece and follows various carnival characters through the story of a woman who in response to being wronged by her husband kills her children so that he knows the pain of loss. 

“This version of Medea is a unique adaptation that infuses the traditions and characters of Carnival and the beautiful of spirit of Trinidad,” Golden said.

Golden uses the emancipation strategies of the Jouvay Popular Theatre Process (JPTP) developed by Tony Hall to expose the means of resistance in Carnival Medea. JPTP is a workshop that utilizes the characters of Trinidad carnival like the baby doll character.

“With my primary investigator, Dr. Tom Fish, we conducted interviews with the playwright and director herself, Shirlene Holmes and the production manager Chi Ife,” Golden said.

Holmes died in 2023 and Hall died in 2016, and part of Golden’s goal is to honor their legacies by continuing their work.

Story by Alyssa Ozment

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.