Lisa Peschel

Professor Lisa Peschel holds the Chair of Research & Practice in Theatre at the University of York's Department of Theatre, Film, Television, and Interactive Media. Her research focuses on the cultural and theatrical life of the Terezín Ghetto during WWII, exploring how theatrical performance served as a survival mechanism and a means of preserving identity under extreme conditions. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Czech Republic, uncovering previously unknown scripts and oral histories from survivors.

Education: PhD in Theatre Historiography (University of Minnesota, 2008), MFA in Playwriting (University of Texas, 2005), BSc in English Literature (University of Wisconsin, 1988). Postdoctoral fellowships at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Harvard University's Center for Jewish Studies preceded her appointment to York in 2011.

Research interests include theories of emotion, trauma, and memory in Holocaust contexts. She has led major AHRC-funded projects like Performing the Jewish Archive (2014–2018) and Gido’s Coming Home! (2018–2019), which re-staged Terezín plays globally to educate about Holocaust history through performance.

Her publications include A Holocaust Cabaret (2023), Performing (for) Survival (2016), and over 70 articles/chapters analyzing survivor testimony and theatrical scripts from the ghetto. She has been awarded the EHRI Fellowship in Holocaust Studies (2014).

Teaching and pedagogy: Develops drama-based Holocaust education programs for schools, including workshops with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Advises on integrating historical theatre texts into curricula to foster empathy and historical understanding.

Professional affiliations include the American Society for Theatre Research, Association for Jewish Studies, and Czechoslovak Studies Association. Active in international conferences on Holocaust memory, trauma studies, and performance in extreme contexts.