معرفی
Angela Sweigart-Gallagher serves as Associate Professor of Performance and Communication Arts at St. Lawrence University and holds the NY6 Academic Leadership Fellowship. She teaches beginning and advanced acting courses alongside specialized offerings in Political Theatre and Performance, Drama for Teaching and Learning, Arts Administration & Marketing, and Theatre, Sustainability, and the Natural World. As University Theatre director, she employs collaborative approaches to develop inexperienced theatre artists' creative processes and artistic voices.
Education:
- PhD Theatre Research (Minor: Curriculum and Instruction), University of Wisconsin
- MA Theatre Research, University of Wisconsin
- BA English and Theatre, University of Mary Washington
Sweigart-Gallagher's research centers on political theatre as resistance, with specialization in applied theatre methodologies. Her work critically examines gender politics through performance, particularly regarding women's bodily autonomy and political representation. Co-founder of The Wandering Uterus Project, she creates satirical performances that challenge patriarchal structures and governmental policies affecting women. Her scholarship increasingly addresses sustainable theatre practices, integrating environmental consciousness into production design and theatrical processes.
Her publication pattern reveals evolving scholarly interests from historical analyses of nationalism in youth theatre toward immediate political commentary on contemporary issues. Recent works demonstrate consistent engagement with youth performance, gender politics, and resistance strategies, particularly through satire. She maintains active regional theatre criticism while producing theoretically rigorous scholarship connecting performance to broader social and political movements, with increasing emphasis on sustainability and pandemic-era performance adaptations.
Scientific Awards:
Sweigart-Gallagher mentors students through collaborative production work and specialized courses that blend theory and practice. Her DIY Theatre course exemplifies project-based learning where students design and execute theatrical elements under faculty guidance. She has secured production resources for sustainable theatre initiatives, incorporating recycled materials and LED lighting to reduce environmental impact. Her collaborative research with colleagues like Victoria P. Lantz and Melissa C. Thompson demonstrates commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to performance scholarship.
The Wandering Uterus Project functions as her primary creative research laboratory, producing politically charged performances including 'Dr. Womb and Dr. Tomb' and 'A Series of Modest Pronouncements' that satirize policies affecting women's bodies. This collective has presented work nationally at festivals and academic conferences, using interactive and site-specific techniques to engage audiences in political discourse. Her 'Dissent/Resist' durational performance and Women's March protest art demonstrate ongoing commitment to using performance as direct political action.
