BA (Wheaton, Massachusetts), MA, PhD (Michigan: Ann Arbor)

My current research, including practice-as-research, focuses on various aspects of European street arts. It has resulted in several conference papers, book chapters, journal articles, and a forthcoming book entitled Contemporary European Street Arts: Aesthetics and Politics. As a result of that research, I was invited to participate in the Nomadic University 2008 (a three-day practice-based colloquium in Aurillac, France that looked at street arts activities across the EU with invited artists, programmers, or scholars from each EU country) and its follow-up colloquium, Street Arts Winter Academy 2011 (a three-day colloquium in Ljubjana, Slovenia that explored street arts and pedagogy with educators and artists). In 2009, I was asked to evaluate the final projects of students at FAI AR (Formation Avancée et Itinérante des Arts de la Rue), a professional street arts training programme. In 2009 and 2010, I judged performances for the prize of “Best Street Performance” at MiramirO Street Theatre Festival, Ghent, Belgium. In May 2011, I was interviewed for “Doing It in the Street,” a BBC 4 radio program on street theatre in the UK. In addition, I have conducted research on contemporary Franco-Algerian drama and on applied drama (community-based performance).

I have also worked as a professional dramaturg in France (with Friches Théâtre Urbain, a street theatre company based in Paris) and in the United States (most recently with Infinite Stage in Washington, D.C.). My primary responsibilities are devising performance pieces and adapting non-theatrical texts. In addition, I established and directed “Inside French Theatre,” an annual summer study-abroad program that trained American students in physical theatre, stilts, and aerial acrobatics from 1999-2007.

My practice-as-research develops from my work as dramaturg on devised or adapted pieces for the street or other non-traditional performance venues. I adapted Macbeth for a processional street performance on stilts with Friches Théâtre Urbain that has been performed at festivals all over Europe, including the Thames River Walk in front of the National Theatre in 2005, and Korea. I also adapted Hamlet for a clown performance and devised a piece on immigration to the United States for Infinite Stage. These pieces were performed at Fringe Festivals in New York City and Washington, D.C. I am currently working on a project on performance and gardening, entitled “Hope,” with Friches Théâtre Urbain.

I served on the Executive Committee for IFTR (International Federation for Theatre Research) from 2007-10, and I am currently Treasurer (2011-14).

• Street arts and other performance in public spaces
• Dramaturgy
• Applied Theatre (community-based theatre)
• Contemporary experimental performance and live art
• Popular entertainment

• 2007. En Attendant le Loco. Commissioned outdoor community-based performance. Directed by Sarah Harper. Paris.
• 2006. The State of Things: An American Experience. Performance installation. Directed by Sarah Harper. Creation of script from a range of published texts as well as pieces improvised by the actors. Paris.
• 2004. Macbeth. Trilingual adaptation of Shakespeare’s play for promenade street theatre performance on stilts. Directed by Sarah Harper. First performed in Summer 2004 and now in company’s repertory. Toured in Europe and Asia. Notable performances along the Saint Martin canal in Paris and at the National Theatre, London.
• 2005. Conference of the Birds. Bilingual production for processional street theatre performance based on the dramatic adaptation by Peter Brook and Jean-Claude Carrière. Directed by Sanda Hrzic. Performed by American students. Paris.
• 2002. Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bilingual production for an outdoor site-specific performance using stilts and aerial acrobatics (trapezes, tissues, and harnesses hung from the trees). Directed by Sarah Harper. Performed by professional French actors and American students. Paris.

• 2007. Hamlet? That is the Question. Adaptation of Shakespeare’s play for clowns. Equity production in the Washington, D.C. Fringe Festival.
• 2006. Site-Seeing. Full-length play on the theme of immigration in the United States developed through improvisation with the company of equity actors. Directed by Leslie Felbain. Performed in the Washington, D.C. Fringe Festival and the New York Fringe Festival.  

• 2006. Savage in Limbo by John Patrick Shanley, University of Maryland,College Park, Maryland in collaboration with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Directed by Mitch Hébert.

• 2005. Chez Moi. Cabaret creation with clowns (bouffons) developed through improvisation with the company of equity actors under the direction of Leslie Felbain.

• 1999. Les Femmes de Troie/The Women of Troy. Bilingual production adapted from Euripides, Hecuba and Trojan Women; Seneca, Women of Troy; and Garnier, Les Femmes de Troie. Directed by Aurélien Recoing. Performed at Rencontres Théâtrales Internationales de Haute Corse (international outdoor theatre festival in Corsica).

• 2000. Princesses by Fatima Gallaire.
• 1999. Beckett Festival (eleven one‑act plays).
• 1998. Renard the Fox adapted from the medieval text Roman de Renart.
• 1998. Jules et Jim by Henri‑Pierre Roché.
• 1998. L’Amour Médecin by Moliere.
• 1997. Salome by Oscar Wilde.
• 1996-7. Women and the Forest.
• 1996. The Man Who Laughs adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo.

• 1994. Florence by Alice Childress.
• 1994. Mojo by Alice Childress.
• 1993. A Dream of Canaries by Diana Sáenz.

• 1993. Keely and Du by Jane Martin.
• 1993. Sylvia's Real Good Advice by Nicole Hollander.
• 1993. Tea by Velina Hasu Houston.
• 1992. Strangers in Their Own Land by Peter Sichrovsky.
• 1991. Nancy Drew, Girl Detective by Marisha Chamberlain.