Andrea Gunoe, PhD. is an instructor of performance studies and Artistic Director of The Empty Space in the Hugh Downs School of Communication at Arizona State University. She researches performance in the military, including drill performance and parades. As a practitioner, Andrea is a director, choreographer, and dramaturg. In addition to teaching at ASU and as a grad at Pitt, she has taught at Brigham Young University and Kennesaw State.
Why did you decide to go to graduate school?
I knew from the beginning of undergrad that I wanted to be a theatre teacher. After nearly finishing my BA in K-12 Theatre Ed, I realized I was more interested in teaching college students. I enjoyed teaching but wasn’t as interested in classroom management for children and teens. I wanted to teach people who wanted to be there. An opening in the Theatre History MA program at my undergraduate institution caught my attention. I had enjoyed my history, literature, and theory courses in undergrad, so I decided grad school was for me.
Why did you choose to pursue your degree at Pitt?
When I was looking at PhD programs after finishing my MA, I wanted to remain active in the practices that made me love theatre. Pitt was one of the few programs I found that allowed and encouraged their PhD students to do production work, teach, and research at the same time. Pitt offered teaching assistantships that began in the first semester. I was already teaching when I started the program, so I didn’t want to go back to a TA position for years before teaching again.
How did the degree program help prepare you for your career?
The program prepared me for my career by letting me grow in the areas that brought me to the program. I gained valuable production and teaching experience that made me marketable, in addition to the research work other programs provide. I taught a variety of classes, which prepared me to adapt to the many positions I would apply for. I also focused my elective courses on topics that supported my dissertation and made me a well-rounded job candidate. For example, my gender studies electives set me up to teach gender courses in my career.
What is your current position, and what does it involve?
I am an instructor of Performance Studies in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. I teach courses like Intro to Performance Studies, Performing Identity, and Performing Literature. In addition to performance studies courses, I teach Public Speaking and Gender Communication. In this part of my role, I focus on teaching and mentoring undergraduate students.
I am also the Artistic Director of the Communication School’s black box theatre, The Empty Space. In that role, I organize and produce communication-based performances, symposiums, and events. I assist graduate students with their performances, engage new undergraduate performers, and even convince seasoned faculty to dip their toes into performance. I also manage the physical space, which means I handle a variety of theatre roles, including technical direction, scheduling, and even maintenance.
Thoughts and/or advice for current graduate students?
Sometimes you need to hustle to get the experience you want out of grad school. Unlike undergrad, your path isn’t as clearly marked. Push to do the work that will mean the most to you now and to the career that you want to have. Every career position includes something slightly different, so don’t pigeonhole yourself into thinking there is only one path. If you want to publish, don’t wait until you graduate. My biggest piece of advice is to foster friendships with your fellow grads and alumni. My cohort helped me survive. Pitt theatre alumni have an awesome presence in the field, and they can help you along the way.