Emily B. Klein

Emily B. Klein, PhD is Professor of English at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she also serves on the faculty advisory boards of Ethnic Studies and Women’s & Gender Studies. She is stationed in the School of Liberal Arts and teaches courses spanning American political theatre, performance theory, film studies, and cultural and ethnic studies.

Education

• PhD, Literary and Cultural Studies – Carnegie Mellon University
• BA, English Literature – University of California, Los Angeles

Research Interests

Dr. Klein’s scholarship interrogates intersections of performance, politics, and identity. Her work centers on twentieth- and twenty-first-century American political theatre, feminist theatre history, and the spatial politics of domestic and civic space. She uses performance theory, film and media studies, and ethnic and gender studies to analyze how theatre mediates national, cultural, and personal identities.

Recent Scholarship & Trends

Across her latest articles and chapters, Klein advances a feminist critique of contemporary American theatre, exploring themes of protest, futility, and gendered activism. She juxtaposes historical performances such as Federal Theatre Project’s Living Newspapers with twenty-first-century immersive and activist performances, tracing continuities and ruptures in how theatre mobilizes science, politics, and space to engage publics.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Outstanding Article Award, Modern Drama (2022)

Advising & Service

Dr. Klein has held sustained service roles including membership on the Collegiate Seminar Board, Committee on Teaching, Learning & Scholarship, Academic Honor Council, and the Ethnic Studies Advisory Board. While explicit lists of graduate advisees are not provided, her pedagogy emphasizes mentoring across English, Women’s & Gender Studies, and Ethnic Studies curricula.

Affiliated Labs & Teams

Although no formal lab is listed, Klein collaborates extensively with interdisciplinary theatre and performance studies scholars, most notably as co-editor of the Palgrave volume Performing Dream Homes, working closely with colleagues Jill Stevenson and Jennifer-Scott Mobley.