Henry Bial

Henry Bial is the Robert L. McDevitt Chair Professor and Chair of Theatre and Dance at the University of Kansas. His research spans performance theory, religious performance, and Jewish popular culture. He authored Playing God: The Bible on the Broadway Stage and Acting Jewish, and edited The Performance Studies Reader.

His interdisciplinary work bridges theatre historiography with cultural studies, exploring ethnic negotiation in American performance. He has directed professionally and served as President of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.