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As a scholar, teacher, and theatre-maker, I am most interested in performance that critically engages audiences in contemporary political and social ideas and issues. My research and teaching interests include: community-based performance, politically-engaged theatrical practices, feminist performance criticism, contemporary American female playwrights, documentary performance, and Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

I am a community-based performance scholar and practitioner. I have created numerous collaborative performance projects with students and local community organizations.  I teach and facilitate Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, and my scholarly writing about the application of his work has been published in various journals. I investigate the potential of theatrical performance to catalyze community dialogue and participate in struggles for social justice. For many years, my practice-based research explored ways in which theatre and performance can participate in bullying prevention efforts at the middle and high school level.

My current research investigates efforts for gender parity and representational equity in American theatre, and specifically examines the work of contemporary female playwrights. Interdisciplinarity is at the heart of my work as a teacher and a scholar. In the last few years, I have had the privilege to participate in interdisciplinary faculty development trips to Russia and Cuba. I have been part of the team teaching the Humanities course, Connections and Conflicts (HUM 103-104) since 2020.

Teaching

• THE 101 Introduction to Theatre Arts
• THE 242 Women’s Work: 21st Century Female Playwrights
• THE 245 Acting 1
• THE 285 Politics and Performance in the 20th Century
• THE 325 Production Dramaturgy
• THE 362 Community-Based Performance for Social Justice
• THE 371 World Theatre History
• THE 383 Contemporary Theatre and Performance
• THE 499 Honors thesis