Teresa Simone

Teresa Simone is an Instructional Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Mississippi’s Department of Theatre & Film, within the College of Liberal Arts. She holds a PhD in Theatre from Florida State University (2023) and an MA in Gender Studies from the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on nationalist pageantry, exploring how women’s and children’s performances model citizenship and shape national identity. She is also a trained teaching artist with expertise in physical theatre, devised theatre, and community-driven performance.

Before academia, Simone spent over a decade with Stories That Soar, an educational theatre organization, where she created performances from children’s stories and taught playwriting to ~1,000 students annually. She has additional training from Dell’Arte International School for Physical Theatre and has worked with Augusto Boal, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and Cornerstone Theatre.

Simone teaches courses including Intro to Theatre, Script Analysis, and Dramatic Literature. Her honors include the PEO Scholar Award and the Helen Krich Chinoy Dissertation Fellowship. She advocates for community cultural development through performance and continues to bridge academic research with grassroots artistic practice.