Faith Roche ’25 won for an interdisciplinary thesis which combined her theatre work and GLAM research.
By Cara Nixon
June 17, 2025
The Class of ’21 Award was endowed by the class of 1921 over a century ago. The $1,500 award is given annually to one or two Reed students who produce creative work of notable character, involving an unusual degree of initiative and spontaneity. This year’s winner, Faith Roche ’25, created an interdisciplinary thesis combining her theatre work and Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies research.
Faith was nominated for the award by Professors Kate Bredeson [theatre] and Nigel Nicholson [GLAM]. Bredeson and Nicholson served as Faith’s thesis advisers on her project: “Transgressive Rejoicing: Re-incorporating the Dionysiac into Aeschylus’ Agamemnon on the Contemporary Stage.” The thesis is based on Faith’s original idea that the contemporary study of ancient Greek theatre is missing the element of the Dionysiac onstage.
For her project, Faith studied theory and history of scholarship and practices of ancient Greek plays. Then she took her ideas to the stage, directing a production of Anne Carson’s translation of “Agamemnon.” The process involved Faith selecting scripts, assembling design and production teams as well as a cast of actors, developing and implementing her own vision of the play, and leading large groups of people through a months-long artistic project.
According to Faith, tracing the manifestations of the Dionysiac in the tragic genre within Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and fleshing them out in a contemporary production gave way to a distinctly feminist vision for the staged production. Bredeson said she remains struck by Faith's ability to use an ancient play to open up crucial questions about women today.
“Faith’s project is one of the best interdisciplinary theses I've seen at Reed,” Bredeson said. “What I love about it is how truly Reed it is—combining elements from Humanities 110 with the GLAM curriculum with her studies of directing, theatre history, and artistic production, and using these studies as the basis to stage her own production of the play in the Performing Arts Building.”
Nicholson said Faith’s project involved a genuine dialogue between both her theatre and GLAM work, resulting in a richer understanding of both.
“Faith used her interpretation of classical scholarship to think through her directing choices, and arrived at a deeper understanding of this play and of Greek theatre in general by directing an actual production of a play,” he said. “That is precisely the kind of possibility you hope to realize through work that straddles two disciplines."
Faith, who found out she’d received the award right after submitting the final draft of her thesis, is thankful to Bredeson, Nicholson, and her cast and crew. “It feels so unbelievably special to have my work recognized in this way—I think I immediately burst into tears,” she said. “Winning this award has certainly given me even more hope and confidence in my work and what I can continue to do.”