Lyam B. Gabel

Lyam B. Gabel is an Assistant Professor in Acting and Directing at Lehigh University's College of Arts and Sciences, where they create transformative performance containers for collective remembering and radical celebration through community-centered practices.

Education:

• BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University
• MFA, Carnegie Mellon University

Research Interests: Gabel's work centers on Queer Studies and Community Archiving, investigating how performance activates care networks and preserves marginalized histories. Their process merges archival research, emerging technology, and embodied improvisation to confront systemic erasure—particularly of LGBTQ+ experiences—while fostering intergenerational connection through radical celebration.

Scientific Awards:

• Drama League Resident (2021)
• Drama League Fellow (2017)
• Distillery Artist at New Orleans CAC (2016)

Advising and Grants: Gabel secured National Theater Project funding for "Alleged Lesbain Activities" and an NPN Creation Fund commission for current work "the dance floor, the hospital room, and the kitchen table". They have developed projects at Ars Nova, Judson Church, Pipeline, and Ashland New Plays Festival, with creations performed nationally through venues like The Theater Offensive and New Orleans CAC.

Labs and Teams: Founded LAST CALL collective documenting queer history in New Orleans, and collaborates with physical theater ensemble NEW NOISE where they directed "Jubilee"—a performance confronting familial racism patterns.