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In Theater Arts we consciously ask ourselves, What is theater? Each faculty member has a different answer to that question, but we are all dedicated to its investigation. Each of us embraces the languages of theater — sound, word, body, light, space, objects, images — in different ways. While some of the faculty create text-based theater, some frankly reject that domain. They produce collective creations, in which the actors base the performance text on extensive improvisation, which is then edited by a director. Some of our work is intensely psychological; some of our work is socio-political, and for some, spectacle or dance is central to the investigation. With so many paradigms representing great world theaters, we unite around the pursuit and exploration of the impulse behind great theaters, rather than around a single vision.

These divisions enable us to be authentic in our investigation of the question, “What is theater?” We do so in the spirit of open debate and free exchanges. Our answers frame the curriculum and the production schedule. Our students, the beneficiaries of our debates, are invited to decide for themselves what theater can be for them. This commitment to diverse aesthetics, both cultural and artistic, creates the MIT Theater Program.

Chairman of Music and Theater Arts

Janet Sonenberg

Professor
json, (617) 253-1131

Theater Arts Faculty and Instructors

Alan Brody

Professor
brody, (617) 253-4892

Thomas F. DeFrantz

Professor, Transfer Credits Advisor,
Director, Womens & Gender Studies
defrantz, (617) 253-6957

Sara Brown

Director of Design
saralb, (617) 253-0862

Laura Harrington

Lecturer
harringt at gis dot net, (617) 452-3209

Leslie Cocuzzo Held

Costume Designer, Technical Instructor
held, (617) 253-1738

Michael Katz

Technical Director, Technical Instructor
mkatz, (617) 253-0824

Kim Mancuso

Lecturer
pilgrim, (617) 253-7755

Karen Perlow

Lighting Designer, Technical Instructor
kperlow, (617) 253-6993

Michael Ouellette

Senior Lecturer, Concentration Advisor
michaelo, (617) 253-2171

Jay Scheib

Assistant Professor, Major Departure Advisor, Minor Advisor
jscheib, (617) 253-6961

Theater Arts Staff

John Lyons

Administrative Officer, Music and Theater Arts
jhlyons, (617) 253-4742

Priscilla Cobb

Academic Administrator, Music and Theater Arts
cobb, (617) 253-5623

Julie McClure

Administrator, Music and Theater Arts
jmcclure, (617) 253-3210

Diane Brainerd

Rinaldi Costume Shop Manager, Costume Rentals Manager
dianeeb, (617) 253-1738

Rinaldi Theater Arts Technical Building E33

Production Administration, Aileen Kawabe
theaterarts, (617) 253-2877