Dr. Barrie Gelles is a theatre scholar, director, and teacher. Barrie writes about the aesthetics of musical theatre, Jewishness and Broadway musicals, pedagogical approaches to theatre courses, and the role of theatre practice in the academy. Her dissertation, “‘Here in America’: Broadway Musicals and the Making of Jewish Americans” examines the recurring themes and tropes in musicals that recreate, reframe, and reclaim narratives of Jewish American cultural memory. Her research emphasizes the study of musical theatre aesthetics as a way to examine how Broadway musicals create narratives that become part of cultural memory.
Barrie directs new musicals, rarely produced musicals, and re-envisioned revivals of musicals wherein she uncovers a new story while remaining loyal to the original text and authorial intent. She also cultivates opportunities for new musicals through Overtures, a new musical developmental reading series that she created and continues to curate.
Barrie’s scholarship can be found in Popular Entertainment Studies, the Ransom Center Magazine, and the recently published Milestones in Musical Theatre and she has published book reviews in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, and Studies in Musical Theatre. Barrie has presented her work at numerous conferences including ATHE, ASTR, PCA/ACA, and Song, Stage, and Screen. She is currently the Conference Planner for the Music Theatre/Dance Association at ATHE.
Barrie teaches a variety of courses, including musical theatre history, theatre history, acting, script/song analysis, and public speaking. In addition to teaching at NYU, she teaches at Marymount Manhattan College and Baruch College. She has previously taught at Brooklyn College and Hunter College as well. She was a fellow for two years in Brooklyn College’s Writing Across the Curriculum program; during that appointment, she worked with departments to create shared digital resources and create tools for incoming adjunct instructors.
Barrie has a BA in Theatre and Literature from Sarah Lawrence College, an MA in Theatre from Hunter College, and a PhD in Theatre and Performance from The Graduate Center, CUNY.
For more information, please visit barriegelles.com