SHELLEY ORR
Visiting Assistant Professor

Critical Studies, Dramaturgy, Theatre History

Ofice: DA 215
Phone: 594-1866
morr@mail.sdsu.edu

Shelley Orr is a dramaturg and theatre scholar, specializing in 20th and 21st Century theatre. She has a BS in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, an MFA in Dramaturgy from UCSD, and a PhD in Theatre from the UCI/UCSD joint program. For the past two years, she held a tenure-track position at the University of Arizona, where she taught and advised student dramaturgs in the MA and new BFA in Dramaturgy and Theatre History.

Her professional credits include dramaturging for the new play festival PlayLabs, at The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis. She also dramaturged Marguerite Duras's SAVANNAH BAY at New York's Classic Stage Company, directed by Les Waters and starring Kathleen Chalfant. She dramaturged Beckett's HAPPY DAYS, directed by Robert Woodruff at La Jolla Playhouse; this production also had a run at PS 122.

Other credits as dramaturg include: TARTUFFE and Howard Barker's SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION at U of A; CLOUD NINE and THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Washington University in St. Louis; the workshop premiere of Charles L. Mee's BIG LOVE, directed by Les Waters (co-dramaturg), the world premiere of Len Jenkin's LIKE I SAY directed by Robert Egan, Duras's INDIA SONG directed by Les Waters, all at UCSD. She has also directed Caryl Churchill's BLUE KETTLE and a previously unproduced one act by Tennessee Williams called ME, VASHYA!

Her current book project is on the theatre of Marguerite Duras. Her publications have appeared in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, TheatreForum, American Theatre, Theatron, and Paroles gelees. She has presented at the annual meetings of ASTR and ATHE. Orr is Vice President, Communications, for LMDA (Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas) and recently was elected to be the next president of that international organization.