Justin Tyler, a candidate for May graduation from Hamilton College, has been awarded the college's Bristol Fellowship.
The William M. Bristol Fellowship was created for Hamilton College students to encourage discovery of self and the world, a greater appreciation and understanding of people and culture, and to enable individuals to act on great ideas through independent study projects rather than formal academic pursuit.
Tyler's project is titled, "Theatre in the Raw: A Study of Radical Street Theatre in England, Fiji/Vanuatu, India, Australia and Brazil." Radical street theatre is the use of theatrics created and performed in a public square to protest or challenge the established social structure. Street theatre performances use improvisation and provocative themes in an attempt to reach out and affect an audience. Tyler intends to observe and document performances, compare the tactics and themes of each performance and relate this information to the political and culture backgrounds of the five countries. His final product will be a comprehensive study of a passionate and exciting art form that might otherwise not be examined.
Tyler, a theatre and government double major at Hamilton, is a graduate of Paul V. Moore High School, where he was valedictorian of his class. While at Hamilton he has been a writer and editor for The Spectator, Hamilton's student newspaper; has performed in college theater productions, including Way of the World, Pilgrims of the Night, Orestes and Vinegar Tom; is leader of the Yodapez Improv Comedy Troupe at Hamilton; and leader and founder of Dead Llama Improv Comedy Troupe in Syracuse. He served as an intern for the Chicago Improv Festival in 2000. Tyler is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Tyler of West Monroe, NY.
The Bristol Fellowship is open to all Hamilton seniors. Proposed projects are based on strong personal interests and commitments. Proposals are evaluated on seriousness of purpose, inquisitiveness, depth of personal interest and feasibility.
William Bristol served as a Hamilton trustee, president of the alumni association, fundraiser and benefactor. He was one of six generations of Bristol family members to attend Hamilton, dating back to the chartering of the college in 1812. Mr. Bristol's great, great grandfather became one of the college's first trustees after helping to found the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, which later became Hamilton College in 1793.
Hamilton College is a highly selective residential college offering a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Students are challenged to think, write and speak critically, creatively and analytically, so that upon graduation, they may distinguish themselves in both their professions and their communities.
