Theatre and Performance Studies

"London Labour and the London Poor"‌
by Henry Mayhew (1851)

In Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS), scholars engage with the “performative turn” in a host of fields, from anthropology to dance to literary and cultural studies. Our research group defines TPS broadly and welcomes scholars working on a diversity of topics from highly contextualized historical studies of theater, dance troupes, and dramatic repertoire to broader approaches to performance as an everyday practice.

The main short-term and long-term objectives of a new interdisciplinary group in TPS are numerous:

•   Foster a sense of community among scholars from diverse academic disciplines who work on any aspect of theater and/or performance in their scholarship and/or teaching
•   Help faculty and graduate students stay up-to-date on emerging trends in the fields of theater and performance studies
•   Bridge disciplinary divides between the humanities, the arts, and social scientific disciplines relevant to the study of performance
•   Provide the opportunity for participants in the group to share and workshop, and thus improve the cogency and depth of their scholarship on theater and performance studies
•   Create a working group of faculty and graduate students to coordinate activities (festivals, conferences, performances, colloquia, etc.) related to theater and performance studies
•   Provide a venue for faculty and students to discuss institutional and programmatic issues related to theater and performance studies at UM

How To Get Involved

If you are interested in joining us or in learning more about our group, please contact Dr. Stephen A. Di Benedetto (Theatre Arts; sdibenedetto@miami.edu).

CALENDAR

CO-CONVENERS

Spring 2024

Meeting Location: 6565 Red Road Black Box Theatre

Friday, February 16 @ 10:15 am

Nilo Cruz will be discussing his playwriting & directing process in a Q&A session with Michiko Kitayama-Skinner as the host.

Meeting Location: Herman Ring Theater (1312 Miller Drive)

Friday, March 1 @ 8:00 pm

Opening of Sarah DeLappe’s play The Wolves, a gripping coming-of-age story where nine soccer team members, "The Wolves," test their endurance in passing drills while navigating the dynamics of ambition, identity, loss, and female friendships.

Meeting Location: Merrick Building, Room 2010.02 

Friday, April 12 @ 3:00 pm 

Angela Marino, Professor at the University of California Berkeley, will present the talk "Festivals and Governance: The Failures of Representative Democracy and Political Futures (for the Love of the Earth)." 

Fall 2023

Meeting Location: (UM’s Red Road Black Box Theatre; 6565 Red Road, near the corner of Red Road and Ponce) / Department of Theatre Arts LAB session 

Friday, September 29 @ 10:00 am 

Bruce Miller, the Director of UM’s current production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Friday, November 3rd @ 10:10 am

The meeting will feature Dr. Nathaniel Cadle (FIU), who will provide contextual and theoretical background for UM’s upcoming production of Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. But wait, there is more! This session will also feature Michael Jenkinson, the director of the production, who will discuss his interpretation of the play as well as the production process. And there will be plenty of time for your questions.