Jordan Schildcrout

Jordan Schildcrout is Professor of Theatre & Performance at Purchase College, SUNY, where he also serves as Co-Chair of the department. He holds a PhD from the CUNY Graduate Center and a BA from Yale University. He joined the faculty in 2011 and was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2017. He chaired the BA Program in Theatre & Performance from 2015 to 2022.

• BA, Yale University
• PhD, Graduate Center, City University of New York

Scholarly interests include LGBTQ+ drama, queer theory, Broadway history, and American theatre. His work explores the intersections of sexuality, performance, and cultural memory. He has published on topics ranging from the Muppets to Stonewall, from spinster detectives to gay bathhouse plays, demonstrating a broad and innovative approach to theatre studies.

His publications include In the Long Run: A Cultural History of Broadway’s Hit Plays (2020) and Murder Most Queer (2014), as well as co-editing 50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre (2022). His recent articles examine figures like Harvey Fierstein and John Glines, and themes such as queer liberation in Off-Off-Broadway, the cultural significance of long-running plays, and queer readings of popular media. The body of work reflects a sustained engagement with queer identity, performance aesthetics, and the politics of representation in American theatre.

• SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017)

Schildcrout is also an active dramaturg, having worked with Manhattan Theatre Club, Denver Center Theatre Company, and co-founded the Wash & Fold Theatre Project. He has advised numerous productions, both professional and academic. His research is supported by public engagement through podcasts and media interviews, where he discusses Broadway history and queer theatre. He teaches courses in dramaturgy, LGBTQ+ drama, and theatre histories.

He is affiliated with the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase College and leads research in queer performance and Broadway historiography. His work contributes significantly to the documentation and analysis of LGBTQ+ contributions to American theatre.