Patrick Mullen (he/him) is an educator, scholar, and graduate student in the PhD program in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. He currently serves as the Director of the Dietrich School’s Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity, where he collaborates with partners within the University and beyond to create diverse forms of experiential learning for undergraduates.
His research, which draws upon thing theory, sense methods, and other interdisciplinary approaches, attempts to understand why contemporary artists sometimes adhere to classical forms of performance, and sometimes diverge from these forms, in order to engage with recent national memory, especially trauma born from the violence of twentieth and twenty first century conflicts. Currently, he researches international collaborations of artists who adapt classical Noh to tell contemporary stories, particularly stories that challenge the hegemonic state power of repressive governments and/or right-wing extremist movements.
Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree in History and English Writing (fiction, poetry) from the University of Pittsburgh, and he earned an MFA in Writing (fiction) from Columbia University. At Columbia, he served as a staff member for three years with Community Impact, Columbia’s largest volunteer-service organization, serving residents of Harlem and Morningside Heights, where he taught GED preparation classes for adult learners. Additionally, he has taught creative writing and/or composition at the City College of New York and elsewhere.