The Theater Studies department is ushering in the new school year with a new chair and new faculty!  For the first time, we have a faculty designer taking the helm as chair of the department. Professor Torry Bend has big plans for building new alliances, bringing in new guest artists, and finding new ways to put our students first.  Professor Bend is a scenic designer and puppet artist who has been designing and teaching for the department since 2010.  Those curious about her creative process should look at this gorgeous piece about her workshop here last spring https://lens.duke.edu/puppet-mastery 

One of the first exciting new developments under Professor Bend's watch is that our faculty is expanding.  Theater Studies is proud to be bringing Professor Esther Kim Lee  (pictured) to Duke, joining the department as a full professor for her first semester this fall.  Professor Lee specializes in theater history, and is teaching THEATRST 232 Asian American Theater for fall 2018.  (Note to students: there are still seats available for this wonderful opportunity to learn more about a still-growing field of study from an expert.)  Professor Lee is joining us from the University of Maryland’s School of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies and her book A History of Asian American Theatre (Cambridge University Press, 2006) received the 2007 Award for Outstanding Book given by Association for Theatre in Higher Education.