معرفی
Larry Bogad is a Professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of California, Davis, where he also directs the Center for Tactical Performance. He is a leading scholar and practitioner of political performance, blending activism, theatre, and humor to challenge power structures and support social movements.
His research centers on tactical performance, guerrilla theatre, and radical memory, with a focus on how humor and imagination can be deployed in progressive activism. His influential books, including Tactical Performance: The Theory and Practice of Serious Play and Electoral Guerrilla Theatre, are widely used in academic curricula. He has also authored plays such as COINTELSHOW and ECONOMUSIC, and produced the documentary Radical Ridicule.
His recent artistic projects, such as SINFONÍA DE LA JUSTICIA and Delivering Democracy, demonstrate a sustained commitment to community-engaged art, focusing on farmworker rights and voter education. His work has been performed internationally, from SF MOMA to occupied zones in Barcelona, and he has led workshops in revolutionary Cairo, Helsinki, Buenos Aires, and beyond.
His publications reveal a consistent engagement with themes of political satire, historical memory, and nonviolent resistance, often using performance to critique state violence, electoral systems, and social amnesia. The interdisciplinary nature of his work spans theatre, political science, history, and media studies.
- Art and Controversy Fellow, Carnegie Mellon University
- Distinguished Lecturer on Performance and Politics, Carnegie Mellon University
- Humanities and Political Conflict Fellow, Arizona State University
Bogad advises activists globally through his Tactical Performance workshops and has collaborated with organizations such as the Center for Victims of Torture and North Bay Jobs With Justice. His projects have received grants from the Puffin Fund, Network of Ensemble Theatres, UC Institute for Research in the Arts, and the British Arts and Humanities Research Council. He is currently a People’s WPA Artist with the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.
He leads the Center for Tactical Performance and co-founded the Clown Army, fostering creative resistance and participatory performance. His work integrates academic scholarship with direct action, creating a unique model of engaged artistry.
