Jonathan M. Rizzardi​ is a doctoral student in the School of Drama at the University of Washington. He has worked as a teaching artist, actor, director, and writer of arts education and arts integration curricula. His current ​research interests include identity politics in contemporary American drama, performances of Elizabethan and 18th century English theatre, and the dialogue created between past and present performance traditions. Passionate about ​developing theatre programs for at-risk and underserved students as well as advancing high-quality pedagogical practices, Jonathan hopes to use theatre scholarship to support the artistic and educational aspirations of students from age 5 to 95.