Rosalie Purvis

Rosalie Purvis is a Libra Assistant Professor of Theatre and English at the University of Maine, affiliated with the School of Performing Arts. She holds a BA in Literature and Dance from Bard College, an MFA in Theatre Directing from Brooklyn College, and a PhD in Performing and Media Arts from Cornell University. Her research interrogates border studies, intercultural performance, translation theory, and intersectional queer practices. Purvis has collaborated internationally with Kolkata-based Chaepani collective, presenting works at transnational sites including U.S.-Canada and India-Bangladesh borders.

Her teaching spans playwriting, performance studies, ESOL instruction, and border studies, with appointments at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and institutions in India. Notable projects include Late for Durga (bilingual play), Root Map (border-focused theatre), and the virtual Anon(ymous) collaboration between UMaine and Presidency College Kolkata. Purvis’s work bridges scholarship and practice through site-specific performances, interlingual adaptations, and ethnographic methodologies.

Her academic contributions include publications on translation praxis and cross-cultural adoption narratives, alongside conference presentations at King’s College London, Columbia University, and Jadavpur University. She actively engages in global performance networks, prioritizing marginalized voices and boundary-defying storytelling.