Domenick Scudera

Domenick Scudera is a Professor of Theater at Ursinus College, where he co-founded the Theater and Dance department and served as its former chair. Active since 1987, he is a professional director, playwright, and performer, with over 50 productions at Ursinus and affiliations with regional theaters like Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater and Delaware Theater Company. His teaching includes courses such as Directing for the Stage and From Shakespeare to RuPaul: A History of Drag Performance.

• Education:
  • M.F.A., Pennsylvania State University
  • B.A., Colgate University

Scudera’s research and creative work focus on playwriting, drag performance history, and gender diversity in theater, exemplified by his plays Gilgamesh (2024) and In the Same Boat (2025), which celebrate gender diversity. His The Half of It (2026) explores vaudeville drag traditions, while Red Hot and Gold (2025) and Broken Vessel (2023) engage with monologue and short-play formats.

Scientific and artistic awards include:

• Winner, ‘Friendship and Loyalty’ playwriting contest (Gitelman & Good Publishers)
• Runner-up, 2025 Carnegie Mellon University Literary Press New Play Contest
• 1st Place Judges’ Award and Audience Overall Favorite Award (Edmonds Driftwood Players 14th Annual Festival of Shorts, 2025)

As a mentor, Scudera guided Tre Dunlap ’25 in analyzing portrayals of computer scientists in popular media through Ursinus’ Summer Fellows program. He also volunteers in pet therapy programs with his dogs Cyrus and Deuce.