Andrew Saito
استادیار · Theatre and Performance
Purchase College, State University of New Yorkمعرفی
Andrew Saito is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College, State University of New York. He is a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist with a strong international focus on indigenous narratives, cross-racial storytelling, and anti-colonial performance practices.
Education:
- BA in Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley
- MFA, Iowa Playwrights Workshop, University of Iowa
His research and creative work explore hybridity, cultural memory, and struggles against colonialism, with extensive fieldwork in Peru, Papua New Guinea, Cuba, and Guatemala. He has collaborated with renowned theater collectives such as Grupo Cultural Yuyachkani, Teatro Kusiwasi, and Asociación Xajooj Tun. His plays have been produced by Cutting Ball Theater, FaultLine Theater, Brava Theater, and others, often engaging urgent social and environmental themes such as climate change, water rights, and wartime memory.
His recent and upcoming works reflect a deep commitment to decolonial aesthetics and community-based creation, with productions planned with AlterTheater and Montalvo Arts Center. His creative output spans political satire, environmental drama, and intercultural adaptations, demonstrating a diverse and evolving artistic trajectory.
Scientific Awards:
- Fulbright Scholarship (2012)
As a teaching artist and mentor, he has guided emerging playwrights through residencies and workshops nationally and internationally. He has no formal grants listed, but his Fulbright and Mellon residencies indicate significant external support. He is actively involved in performance-based research and continues to develop new works that bridge academic inquiry and theatrical innovation.
He is affiliated with several artistic communities and collectives, including Teatro de los Elementos (Cuba) and Asociación Xajooj Tun (Guatemala), and has held residencies at Blue Mountain Center, Montalvo Arts Center, Djerassi, and Arquetopia Foundation. His work exemplifies the role of theater as a tool for cultural preservation, critical dialogue, and global engagement.
