معرفی
Dr. Amy E. Hughes is a Professor of Theatre & Drama at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD), and a Faculty Associate in American Culture within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA). Her research focuses on 19th-century US theatre and performance, with specialties in material/visual culture, disability studies, human-animal studies, and digital humanities. She co-edited the critical edition of A Player and a Gentleman: The Diary of Harry Watkins (2018) and co-created its digital edition, earning the 2019 ATHE-ASTR Digital Scholarship Award. Her book Spectacles of Reform (2012) won the Barnard Hewitt Award.
Education:
- PhD in Theatre, The Graduate Center, CUNY
- MFA in Performing Arts Management, Brooklyn College, CUNY
- BFA in Acting, New York University
Research Interests: Hughes explores how theatre intersects with social reform, material culture, and anti-oppressive practices. Current projects include An Actor’s Tale (2025), examining workaday theatre labor, and a study on 19th-century ‘dog dramas’ and transatlantic cultural perceptions of animals.
Leadership & Service: She serves as Associate Director of U-M’s ADVANCE program promoting gender equity and Co-Chair of STRIDE (Committee on Strategies and Tactics to Improve Diversity and Excellence). Her teaching philosophy emphasizes collaboration and bell hooks’ ‘love ethic’.
Awards:
- 2013 Barnard Hewitt Award (ASRT)
- 2019 ATHE-ASTR Digital Scholarship Award
- Brooklyn College Excellence in Teaching Award (2010)
Labs/Projects: The Harry Watkins Diary Project includes a digital edition, Twitter feed (@WatkinsDiary), and public engagement initiatives. This interdisciplinary work bridges archival research, digital scholarship, and community outreach.
