Kristen McCleary

Dr. Kristen McCleary is a Professor of History at James Madison University (JMU), specializing in Latin American history with a focus on urban culture, theater, film, and cultural relations. She co-directs the Argentina Study Abroad program, emphasizing immersive cultural and academic engagement. Her research explores how marginalized groups shaped urban landscapes and cultural expressions in 19th- and early 20th-century Argentina, particularly through theater and public spaces. She holds a Ph.D. from UCLA and has authored prominent works, including Staging Buenos Aires: Theater, Politics, and Society in Argentina, 1860–1920 (2024) and numerous articles on theater migration, urban sociology, and cultural identity. Her work bridges urban history, cultural studies, and gender studies, examining how performance and public spaces reflect societal tensions and transformations. McCleary’s scholarship highlights the interplay between elite and popular cultures, migration, and the role of art in shaping national identity.

Her research interests include the Spanish Zarzuela’s transnational influence, the role of theater in urban development, and the socio-political dimensions of cultural spaces like carnivals and theaters. She has contributed to transnational theater historiography and explored how fires in Buenos Aires theaters influenced public safety and urban governance. McCleary’s studies often address gendered and class-based dynamics in cultural production and consumption.

No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts. Her advising and mentorship roles, while central to her academic work, are not detailed here. McCleary’s academic contributions extend to study abroad initiatives, reflecting her commitment to experiential learning and international cultural exchange.