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In Theater Arts we consciously ask ourselves, What is theater? Each faculty member has a different answer to that question, but we are all dedicated to its investigation. Each of us embraces the languages of theater — sound, word, body, light, space, objects, images — in different ways. While some of the faculty create text-based theater, some frankly reject that domain. They produce collective creations, in which the actors base the performance text on extensive improvisation, which is then edited by a director. Some of our work is intensely psychological; some of our work is socio-political, and for some, spectacle or dance is central to the investigation. With so many paradigms representing great world theaters, we unite around the pursuit and exploration of the impulse behind great theaters, rather than around a single vision.

These divisions enable us to be authentic in our investigation of the question, “What is theater?” We do so in the spirit of open debate and free exchanges. Our answers frame the curriculum and the production schedule. Our students, the beneficiaries of our debates, are invited to decide for themselves what theater can be for them. This commitment to diverse aesthetics, both cultural and artistic, creates the MIT Theater Program.

Section Head of Music and Theater Arts

Evan Ziporyn

Professor
zipo@mit.edu (617) 253-3210

 

Director, Theater Arts

Jay Scheib

Professor, MInor Advisor
jscheib@mit.edu (617) 253-3210 or 917-612-2137

Theater Arts Faculty and Instructors

Alan Brody

Professor, Major Advisor
brody@mit.edu, (617) 253-4892

Sara Brown

Director of Design
saralb@mit.edu, (617) 253-0862

Laura Harrington

Lecturer
harringt at gis dot net, (617) 452-3209

Bozkurt Karasu

Technical Director
bkarasu@mit.edu, (617) 253-0824

Anna Kohler

Senior Lecturer, Concentration Advisor
akohler@mit.edu, (617) 254-0469

Kim Mancuso

Lecturer
pilgrim@mit.edu, (617) 253-7755

Karen Perlow

Lighting Designer, Technical Instructor
kperlow@mit.edu, (617) 253-6993

Janet Sonenberg

Professor
json@mit.edu, (617) 253-3210

Keely Eastley

Lecturer
keely@mit.edu, (617) 253-8150

Theater Arts Staff

Robin Carleton

Administrative Officer, Music and Theater Arts
carleton@mit.edu, (617) 253-4742

Elizabeth Connors

Academic Administrator, Music and Theater Arts
econnors@mit.edu, (617) 253-5623

Stephanie Muto

Administrator, Music and Theater Arts
smuto@mit.edu, (617) 253-3210

Diane Brainerd

Rinaldi Costume Shop Manager, Costume Rentals Manager
dianeeb@mit.edu, (617) 253-1738

Aimee Belanger

Production Administrator
theaterarts@mit.edu, (617) 253-2877