ASU professor named a finalist for prestigious Theatre Library Association Award

The Theatre Library Association announced the Theatre Library Association Book Award winners for English language works of scholarship on live and recorded performance published in 2019. One of the finalists was ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre’s Mary McAvoy for her work “Rehearsing Revolutions: The Labor Drama Experiment and Radical Activism in the Early Twentieth Century.”

McAvoy was specifically nominated for the George Freedley Memorial Award, which recognizes exemplary work in the field of live theatre or performance. Her work also received Studies in Theatre History and Culture 2019 award for the Choice Outstanding Academic Title.

“The Choice Outstanding Academic Title distinction coupled with the TLA George Freedley Award finalist selection are major honors; for ‘Rehearsing Revolutions’ to receive both is a resounding endorsement of the book’s excellence and contributions to the field of theatre history,” said Sara L. Hales-Brittain of the University of Iowa Press. “We are delighted by these accolades and proud to have published Professor McAvoy’s book.”

This is the first book that McAvoy has fully authored; she co-authored “Drama and Education: Performance Methodologies for Teaching and Learning” and co-edited both “Youth and Performance: Perceptions of the Contemporary Child” and the forthcoming “Routledge Companion to Drama in Education.” Her articles have appeared in “Youth Theatre Journal,” “The Journal of American Drama and Theatre,” “Arts Education Policy Review” and various edited collections. She has guest-edited and currently serves on the editorial boards for multiple journals.

As an associate professor of theatre, McAvoy’s research and creative practice focus on histories of theatre and drama in educational contexts; performance pedagogy and activism (particularly in U.S. labor movements); educational theatre/drama, theatre teacher preparation, and teaching artistry; radical and experimental performance in youth cultures; and arts education policy. As a practitioner-researcher, she works extensively in education and community engagement for performance and theatre. 

McAvoy teaches courses in theatre history, research methods, and theatre teaching methods preK-16+ in both the undergraduate and graduate theatre programs. She also directs the ASU theatre education teacher certification programs and serves as one of the faculty coordinators for community engagement programming in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.