Pria Wood

Instructional Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts

Dr. Wood is deeply invested in understanding how the stories people tell themselves–through drama, film, performance, and history–affect human behavior and thought. Their research focuses on cross-cultural avant-garde, cognitive science, popular culture, and gender within the US, Europe, and Japan during the 20th and 21st centuries. They have presented work on the shared corporeal topography of Butoh dance and live zombie performances and the cognitive effects of certain kinds of dramatic language and their publications include works on gender representation in theatre (Into the Woods) and film (Aliens), as well as performance and book reviews. They directed the department’s world premiere of the play Hazel by Anne Marie Cammarato and created sound design and music for the online production of Near/Far.