We are pleased to introduce DANM’s new director, Professor Michael M. Chemers. Michael will serve as DANM director for the next three years.
Michael M. Chemers came to UCSC in the Fall of 2012 to join the Theater Arts faculty as Associate Professor of Dramatic Literature. His research areas include theatre history and theory and dramaturgy (an artistic field that provides research and theoretical support and direction for performance events). Recently he has been heavily involved in the integration of dramaturgy into digital media practice, including game creation and social robotics. Prior to his appointment at UCSC, Michael taught at Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious School of Drama, where he became the Founding Director of that school’s first BFA in Production Dramaturgy program. He is the author of Staging Stigma (Palgrave MacMillain 2007), Ghost Light (SIU Press 2010), and a contributor to many books on dramaturgy and new (and old) media.
In his own words: "As a longtime fan of UCSC in all of its enterprises, I have been eagerly watching the development of the DANM program since its inception, floored by the innovative and creative accomplishments of its students and faculty. It was always my intention to become as active a participant in the program as I could, and last year I began, with Jim Bierman (Theater) and Mark Krumholz (Astrophysics), leading the DANM Project Group “Birth of Stars,” which will employ cutting-edge technology and scientific simulations in a live performance this coming fall. I am very honored and humbled to be offered the opportunity to serve as director of the DANM Program at this very exciting time in the program’s history, when I feel that together we will be able to accomplish some significant tasks that will improve the experiences of our students and the opportunities for our faculty to do wild and exciting things. I can’t wait to get started.”
Welcome, Michael! And many thanks to outgoing director, Prof. Warren Sack!