Hannah Gaff

Hannah Gaff is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama at Vassar College, affiliated with the Department of Drama. She holds an MFA in ensemble-based physical theatre from Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and a BA from Grand Valley State University. Her roles include therapeutic clown, movement director, actor, and teacher, with a focus on applied theatre for social and environmental causes.

Core projects include founding Theatre for Climate Justice, which addresses climate change and pollution through theatre, and her work with UpLift Physical Theatre. She is a 2022 Fulbright Scholar in Egypt and a Fulbright Specialist in Pakistan (2023) and Zimbabwe (2024). Her collaborations with organizations like Clowns Without Borders and the Medical Clown Project involve performances and workshops in hospitals, streets, and care centers globally.

Her research emphasizes the transformative power of play and collaborative performance to foster human connection and social change. She received the Arts Envoy Program Grant in 2023 to support work in Karachi’s Pakistan Theatre Festival, where her ensemble taught physical theatre and participated in panels. At Vassar, she teaches Alexander Technique and maintains an office in Eleanor Butler Sanders Hall.