Tabitha Jamie Mary Chester

Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ Aug 2010- June 2013
Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre and Performance of the Americas
Women and Gender Studies Graduate Certificate
Dissertation Committee: Lisa Anderson, Chair; Karen J. Leong, Gitta Honegger
Dissertation: Ima Read: Reading the Black Church through the Performative Work of
Black Same- Gender Loving Males

Temple University, Philadelphia, PA Aug 2007-May 2009

Master of Arts in African American Studies
Advisor: Molefi Kete Asante

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL June 2004- December 2006

Bachelor of Arts in Theatre
Bachelor of Arts in History

INTERESTS
African-American Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Theatre, Performance Studies,
Ethnography, Women of Color, Black Feminism/ Womanism, The Black Church, Black
Women’s Spiritualty, Black Queer Studies, Drama, Black Diaspora Religious Traditions, Hip
Hop Studies.
EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Associate of Theatre and Performance in the School of Theatre, Dance, and
Performance Studies, University of Maryland- College Park, Fall 2019- Present

Instructional Assistant Professional of Theatre Arts, Illinois State University, Spring 2018

Visiting Assistant Professor of Black Studies & Women’s and Gender Studies, Denison
University, Spring 2014- Spring 2017

Co-Instructor, Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar: University of Michigan- Ann Arbor

Co-Instructor, Summer 2016

Graduate Teaching Assistant and Instructor, Arizona State University, Fall 2010-Spring 2013

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 PUBLICATIONS

MONOGRAPHS
Always a Preacher’s Daughter: The Performance of Gender and Sexuality in and beyond the
Church. Northwestern University Press. Anticipated Publication Date: Fall 2018.

ARTICLES/CHAPTERS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION

“Movement for Black Love: The Building of Critical Communities through the Relational
Geography of Movement Spaces.” M4BL and the Critical Matter of Black Lives,” a special issue
of Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly. Anticipated publication date: Summer 2018

REFERENCE WORKS
“POMO Afro Homos.” The Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and
Performance. Ed. Kathy A. Perkins, Sandra L. Richards, Renee Alexander Craft, and Thomas F.
DeFrantz. Anticipated publication date: September 2018

REVIEWS
“August Wilson: Completing the Twentieth-Century Cycle” New England Journal of Theatre
2011: Volume 22

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 COURSES TAUGHT

World Theatre History I

This course covers ancient India, Africa and Greece to the mid-17th century and explores the
origins of theatre forms.

World Theatre History II

This course journeys through various historical periods, from the 17th to early 20th century and
offers a selective introduction to theatrical developments in Europe and the Americas that
encompasses both dramatic texts and performances. The course approach is thematically,
geographically and historically bound.

Principles of Dramatic Analysis in Theatre and Film

This is a required course for Theatre and Film majors that teaches students critical thinking
skills, both written and verbal, for the analysis of plays and films.

Film: Ethics Survey Film

This course engages students to look critically at sex and violence in films. Students will
interrogate how race, class and gender impacts our understanding of ethics in the media.

Arts and Society: Theatre

In this general education course students examine the relationship between theatre and
politics/culture. Students are exposed to a variety of texts and performance in Black
theatre/performance as venue to talk about larger issues in our society.

Fundamentals of Theatre II
In this upper-division course for majors, students survey dramatic literature examining genre and
style in historical context, 17th to 21st century. Introduces methods of dramatic analysis.

Sexuality and Gender in Black Theatre

This discussion and performance based upper division course examines the construction of race,
sexuality and gender in contemporary U.S. Black Theatre. Cross listed with Queer Studies, Black
Studies and Women and Gender Studies

Queering Black Theatre

Unlike a broad theater history course, this upper-division course explores seven playwright’s
overall achievements and general concerns politically, historically and artistically. We will
question how seven Black woman and/or queer playwrights challenge and/or reinforce dominant
stereotypes of Black womanhood and queerness through their work. Cross listed with Queer,
Black and Women’s Studies.

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Black Theatre, Performance and Culture
This upper-division seminar is to introduce the class various representations of Black life and
people spanning from enslavement to the present. Students will be given the opportunity to
develop a sophisticated vocabulary for analyzing various types of productions. Students are
provided a venue to experiment with embodying and staging these representations as well as a
chance to improve their skills in analyzing literature, thinking critically, writing and presenting
ideas.

Pieces of Me: Performing Blackness, Gender and Sexuality

The upper-division course aims to deconstruct stereotypes of “Blackness” in the U.S and African
diaspora. We examine how Black people are portrayed and represented in history, literature and
popular culture and challenge the notion of essential or authentic Blackness. Students will be
invited to look critically at a variety of performances to think in new ways about gender,
sexuality and identity in the performance of Blackness. Cross-listed with Queer, Black and
Women’s Studies.

Issues in Feminism
This is an interdisciplinary course that serves as an introduction to feminist and women’s studies.
The course draws upon feminist ideas and scholarship in developing historical, theoretical and
cross-cultural frameworks for the comparative study of women and gender. Fulfills public
speaking requirement. 18 students.

In Search of Identity: Performance of Blackness and Representations of Gender and

Sexuality
6-week intensive discussion-based seminar designed for 18 high school sophomore students.
Interdisciplinary in nature, this course examines how Black people are portrayed and represented
in history, literature and popular culture

Womanism and Black Feminist Thought

The goal of this upper-division course is to give students an opportunity to critically examine
some of the key concepts, theories, issues, people, moments and events related to Black female
experience(s) in the United States of America. The course will: 1) help develop the analytical
skills necessary to think critically about feminism, race, and gender; 2) pay particular attention to
how Black feminist theory shapes and is shaped by other hierarchies of power including
sexuality and 3) draw on a range of texts and films to situate Black feminist theory not only as an
intellectual project but as a personal and an activist one. Cross listed with Queer Studies, Black
Studies and Women and Gender Studies

Introduction to Black Studies (Service and Experiential Learning)

This course serves as an introduction to the study of Black experience(s) in the United States of
America. The course will survey the field by examining the various social institutions and
movements that comprise Black U.S. life. The course utilizes service and experimental learning.

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 GRANTS AND AWARDS
2017
National Women’s Studies Association Woman of Color Leadership Project Selectee

2016
Pedagogical Practice Projects Fall Recipients ($750). Awarded for innovative pedagogy
implemented in Issues in Feminism course.

Ohio Campus Compact’s Pay it Forward Grant ($2000). Introduction to Black Studies
course was chosen to award this grant to community organizations in Licking County

Service and Experiential Learning Project Spring Recipient ($750) Awarded for
implementing service learning in Introduction to Black Studies course.

2015
Pedagogical Practice Projects Fall Recipient ($750). Awarded for innovative pedagogy
implemented in Womanism and Black Feminist Thought course.

2013
National Center for Institutional Diversity Emerging Diversity Scholar

Arizona State University’s Graduate Studies Summer Fellowship ($5000). Awarded for
support in the completion of manuscript.

2012
Global Theater and Performance Studies Dissertation Research Workshop, University of
California at Santa Barbara.

First Place Black Theatre Network’s S. Randolph Edmonds Young Scholars Competition
Award Winner

Division of Graduate Studies Fellowship

2011
Special Talent Award- Theatre

2010
Arizona State University Dean’s Fellowship ($20,000).

2007
Brodsky Fellowship, Temple University

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 SERVICE
Department
Women and Gender Studies Committee, Spring 2014- Spring 2017
Laura C. Harris Fellowship Search Committee, Spring 2015
Laura C. Harris Symposium Summer Ad-Hoc Committee, Summer 2014
Black Caucus, Spring 2014-Spring 2017
Black Studies Committee Spring 2014-Spring 2017
Committee to Develop Proposal for the Introduction to Black Studies Course’s
fulfillment of the Power and Justice G.E. requirement.
Committee to Review Departmental Standards

University
Faculty Producer, “POWER: From the Mouths of the Oppressed”
Facilitator, Creating and Setting Up Podcast Assignments For Your Courses, Center for
Learning and Teaching at Denison University, November 2016
Participant, The National Student Leadership Diversity Convention, Georgia Piedmont
Technical College, Clarkston, Georgia, April 22-24, 2016. Funded but Denison Intercultural
Education Excursion Fund including the expectation for the three faculty who attended to bring
knowledge back to Denison about best practices in student leadership, Spring 2016
Organizer, The Hip Hop Literacies Conference (trip) organized a trip of Denison University’s
Students to HHLC at The Ohio State University, Spring 2015, Spring 2016
Judge, Rico Suave Pageant 2015, Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., Spring 2015
Moderator, Denison Lecture series featuring Sybrina Fulton, the mother of slain teen Tray’von
Martin. The lecture focused on racial profiling sponsored by Denison Campus governance
Association, Sustained Dialogue and University Programming Council, Spring 2015
Lecturer, Dr. Martin Luther King’s Day of Learning, Organized and facilitated a teach-in
session on queer identity and social justice based on The Feminist Wire’s “Black Lives Matter
Conference,” Spring 2015
Advisor, Incoming Freshman Telephone Orientation, Denison University, June 2015
Advisor, June Orientation, Denison University, June 2015, June 2016
Faculty Leader, Denison Outdoor Orientation, Denison University, August 2014
Jumpstart Grant Reviewer, Graduate and Professional Student Association, Arizona State
University Fall 2010 & Spring 2011
Organizer & Moderator, Next Steps Teach-In, co-sponsored with Center for the Cross-Cultural
Engagement & Black Studies, Fall 2014
Organizer, Sharon Bridgforth (visit) Artist, author & educator gave campus-wide Beck Lecture,
joint English and Black Studies class visit and conducted master class. Co-sponsored by the
Beck Lecture Series, Black Studies, Queer Studies and Theatre. Denison University, Fall 2014
Organizer, Black Girl Genius (trip) Organized and chaperoned 11 Denison University students
to attend a conference on the empowerment of girls hosted by Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Fall 2014

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Organizer, Janet Mock’s lecture (trip) Organized a trip of 5 students to attend author and
transgender activist Janet Mock’s book discussion sponsored by a Columbus transgender
organization, Spring 2014.

Profession
Peer Reviewer, Performance, Religion, and Spirituality Journal 2017
Peer Reviewer, Departures in Critical Qualitative Research, 2016
Member-At-Large, Black Theatre Association (ATHE) 2016-2017
Secretary, Black Theatre Association (ATHE) 2014-2016
Abstract Reviewer, National Women Studies Association 2015 & 2017
Associate Graduate Student Representative, Black Theatre Association (ATHE) 2011-2014
Line Editor, Ecumenica: Journal of Theatre and Performance 2013

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Studies Association
Organization for the Study of Communication, Language & Gender
National Council of Black Studies
National Women’s Studies Association
Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association
Comparative Drama Association
Association of Theatre in Higher Education
Black Theatre Network

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