Sharon Ammen, Ph.D., associate professor of theatre at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), will participate in a panel presentation during the International Crime, Media and Popular Culture Studies Conference, which will be held at Indiana State University Oct. 5-7.

Ammen's will present her paper titled “May Irwin's ‘Bully Song' and Lynching in Late 19th Century America.” Contemporary scholars have unearthed and analyzed sources documenting the horrific increase in the lynching of African-Americans from the 1890s to the early twentieth century.  During the same period, “coon songs”--ragtime tunes fitted with racist lyrics in “Negro dialect”--reached peak popularity with the dissemination of sheet music throughout the country.

The reigning comic star most closely associated with the “coon song” phenomena was May Irwin, whose “Bully Song” was arguably the best-known popular song of the 1890s. Unlike earlier depictions in song of happy-go-lucky or laughably foolish black characters, “The Bully” tells the story of a new and aggressive stereotype. Ammen's presentation examines the performance of and public reaction to “The Bully” and explores connections to lynching practices.

Ammen received bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees in theatre and literature from the University of Colorado. In 1986, she graduated from the London Drama Studio and subsequently studied at the University of Maryland on a fellowship. In 1997, she obtained a Ph.D. in theatre history, with supplemental areas in literature and feminist studies, from the University of Maryland.

Ammen's background includes both professional acting and directing experience and academic work. Her professional roles include Maria in “Twelfth Night” and Emilia in “Othello” at Colorado Shakespeare Theatre; Ruth in “Pirates of Penzance” at the Harlequin Theatre and Joanne in “Vanities” at the King's Jester, both in Washington, D.C.; and Maddalena in “Rigoletto” at the Denver Opera Theatre. She has also worked extensively overseas and published several scholarly articles.

The theatre area at SMWC offers students a unique major titled “Women and Theatre.” The major degree is for women who are considering work in the theatre and wish to become a part of the vanguard of women creating major changes in the arts. Students pursuing this degree gain invaluable skills in teamwork, self-discipline, effective communication, and critical thinking.

SMWC also offers a theatre minor in both the campus and the Woods External Degree (WED) programs. This minor can serve as a useful addition to a major in such varied fields as vocal performance, art, psychology, business, or education. SMWC graduates with theatre majors and minors have gone on to perform in professional theatre, manage children's theatre groups, become lawyers, and receive full assistantships to pursue graduate study.

For more information about the theatre programs at SMWC, contact Sharon Ammen at sammen@smwc.edu. For information on scholarships and financial aid, contact the SMWC Office of Admission by email at smwcadms@smwc.edu or by phone at 812-535-5106 or 1-800-926-SMWC.

The International Crime, Media and Popular Culture Studies Conference, sponsored by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Indiana State University, will have more than 100 attendees from 10 different countries, and more than 70 papers will be presented. For more information, visit http://www.indstate.edu/ccj/popcultureconference/.