Claire Conceison

Claire Conceison (康开丽) is Quanta Professor of Chinese Culture and Professor of Theater Arts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She serves as Chair of the DAPER Advisory Board and is faculty advisor of the MIT football team, the Baker Foundation, and Wuming Theater Club. Her academic journey spans prestigious institutions including Harvard and Cornell, establishing her as a leading scholar in cross-cultural theater studies.

• Ph.D. in Theater Studies from Cornell University (2000)
• A.M. in Regional Studies—East Asia from Harvard University (1992)
• B.A. with Honors in East Asian Studies and Theatre from Wesleyan University (1987)
• Additional studies at Central Academy of Drama, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Fudan University, and Peking University in China

Conceison's research focuses on contemporary Chinese theater, contemporary French theater, cross-cultural exchange and performance, Asian American theater, translation studies, and sport as performance. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical theater production, exploring how performance reflects and shapes cultural identity across national boundaries. She has made significant contributions to understanding how Chinese theater engages with global influences while maintaining distinctive cultural expressions.

Her extensive scholarly output reveals consistent focus on Chinese theatrical traditions and innovations, with particular attention to key figures like Meng Jinghui and Gao Xingjian. Her research demonstrates how theater serves as a crucial site for examining cultural exchange, political expression, and social change in contemporary China, with increasing attention to the intersection of sports and performance in recent years.

• MIT Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2023)
• Levitan Teaching Award in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (2017)
• Oriental Scholar Distinguished Professorship at Shanghai Theatre Academy (2015-2018)

As an advisor and mentor, Conceison has guided numerous students and theatrical productions across multiple institutions. Her research has been supported by prestigious grants including the Marion and Jasper Whiting Foundation Fellowship (2025), Research Fellowships from Duke University's Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, and grants from the Asian Cultural Council. She has directed student productions and staged readings of contemporary Chinese and Asian American plays at MIT, Duke, Harvard, Tufts, and University of Michigan, fostering cross-cultural dialogue through performance.