معرفی
Dr. Jayna Gearhart Fitzsimmons serves as Assistant Professor of Theatre in the Theatre Department at Augustana University, where she has taught since 2010. She directs productions and instructs courses spanning acting, theatre history, new play development, improvisation, and theatre for social change, while also leading a January Interim global studies course on Central/Eastern European performance culture.
Her academic credentials include:
- Ph.D. in Critical Studies in English Literature (2023) from University of South Dakota
- M.A. in Theatre (2009) from University of South Dakota
- B.A. in Theatre (2007) from Southwest Minnesota State University
Her research examines metatheatre's intersection with social justice movements, analyzing audience-performance-text dynamics through experimental forms and classical adaptations. She actively explores how theatrical practice can drive societal transformation, particularly through non-traditional texts and inclusive staging methodologies.
Her distinguished recognition includes:
- Regional Kennedy Center Honors spanning directing, script adaptation, collaborative devising, and DEI initiatives
- Kennedy Center Region 5 Road Warrior Award for faculty excellence in production leadership
Dr. Fitzsimmons advises Augustana’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance and Brand Name Improv troupe while directing developmental work with national playwrights. As producing artistic director of Bare Bodkins Theatre Company since 2011, she partners with Sioux Falls Parks Department to present free Shakespeare performances in Falls Park, and collaborates with Dakota Academy of Performing Arts on youth Shakespeare and Plays for Living programs.
