Jennifer Thomas, Associate Professor and Chair of Performance and Communication Arts (PCA), has published a new book, titled “Inclusive Character Analysis: Putting Theory into Practice for the 21st Century Theatre Classroom.” The text, which Thomas co-authored with Robert J. Vrtis, Associate Professor of Theatre at Luther College, centers on representations of race, gender, class, ability, and sexual orientation by blending script analysis with various critical theories to promote a more inclusive performance practice for the classroom and the stage.
According to Routledge, the book’s publisher, “This book merges a traditional Stanislavski-based script analysis with multiple theoretical frameworks, such as gender theory, standpoint theory, and critical race theory, to give students in early level theatre courses foundational skills for analyzing a play, while also introducing them to contemporary thought about race, gender, and identity.”
Routledge deems Thomas’ work “a valuable resource for beginning acting courses, script analysis courses, the directing classroom, early design curriculum, dramaturgical explorations, the playwriting classroom, and introduction to performance studies classes.”
The intersection of theory and practice present in “Inclusive Character Analysis” is a core element of Thomas’ overarching research, which also includes explorations of gender and sexuality in historical and contemporary theatre. Her dissertation investigated the work of English playwright Bryony Lavery and her thesis focused on the career of directing pioneer Joan Littlewood. A sampling of her future projects includes an anthology documenting the history and careers of female lighting, costume, scenic, and sound designers, and a paper exploring the creative process of casting a collaborative company rather than individual roles in a single production.
Thomas joined the St. Lawrence faculty in 2014. Since then, she has inspired students with compelling courses that explore identity and its representation on stage, such as “Women and Theatre” and “Taboo Performances.” She also teaches foundational courses like “Introduction to Theatre” and “Theatre History.” In the past, she brought her research passions to first-year curriculum, teaching “Queer Performances” in the First-Year Program and “Beginning Acting: Investigation, Inference, and Imagination” as a First-Year Seminar.
In addition to her academic accomplishments, Thomas worked in marketing and publications at the Seattle Repertory Theatre in Seattle, Wash., and the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Conn. She has directed productions of Frozen, Chicago, Death and the Maiden, Eye of God, and Twisted. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre and English literature from Concordia College and earned her master’s and Ph.D. in theatre, as well as a graduate certificate in women and gender studies, from the University of Oregon.
