This November, members of the University of Washington School of Drama community traveled to Denver to take part in the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) annual conference. Framed by this year’s theme, “Generative Acts,” the 2025 conference invited theatre makers and scholars to explore how performance creates, sustains, and transforms, from the rituals that bind communities to the technologies that reshape creative expression. 

Drama PhD Program alum Gibson Cima (PhD '12) was one of this year's ASTR conference program co-chairs.

The conference highlighted the vibrancy and range of UW Drama’s scholarship and artistic inquiry. Faculty presenters included Dr. Jasmine Mahmoud, Dr. Scott Magelssen, and Dr. Stefka Mihaylova, alongside graduate students Amna Farooqi, Eric Villiers, Erica Nerbonne, Khanthida Mounivong, Mackenzie Bounds, Rachael Herren, Rachael Powles, and Amanda Marie Rogus. Undergraduate students Mimi McCall, Brook Obermiller, and Natalia Poliakova also shared their work, underscoring how research and performance intersect across every level of study at UW Drama.

Two community members received special recognition this year:

Elizabeth McQueen (BA Drama Alum) was awarded the Cambridge University Press Prize for her paper “Changing Taste: The Performance of Terroir in the Illicit Gin Assemblies.”

Professor Catherine M. Cole, former Divisional Dean of the Arts, was honored with the ASTR Distinguished Scholar Award, recognizing her outstanding leadership, scholarship, and mentorship in the field of theatre and performance studies.

Beyond panels and presentations, UW Drama faculty, students, and alumni also gathered for a community dinner in Denver — a moment of connection that reflected the spirit of this year’s conference.