Publications

Through my publications, I have explored how performance can interrogate identity, challenge power structures, and give voice to marginalized perspectives. My writing spans comedy, intersectional identity, popular culture, UX research, theatre, and live performance.

Scholarly Works

Coming Soon

Directing Intersectionally: Rethinking Theatre Directing Practices for the 21st Century

Routledge • Expected 2026

An exploration of feminist and intersectional approaches to theatrical direction, examining how directors can challenge hierarchical structures and create space for diverse voices.

In progress:
- Book on Stand-Up Comedy
- Book on Intersectional Performance

Books & Monographs

The Performance of Intersectionality on the 21st Century Stand-Up Comedy Stage

ProQuest Dissertation • August 2018

Doctoral dissertation exploring how contemporary comedians perform and interrogate intersectional identities through stand-up comedy. Awarded the Joseph R. Roach Dissertation Award.

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Fem and Funny: Three Women who Changed the Face of Stand-Up Comedy

Virginia Commonwealth University Press • May 2013

A critical examination of three pioneering female comedians and their impact on stand-up comedy performance and feminist discourse.

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Book Chapters

"Recasting Diva Culture: Performative Strategies of Fourth-Wave Black Feminist Stand-Up Comedy"

In Diva: Feminism and Fierceness from Pop to Hip-Hop, Bloomsbury • Edited by Nicole Hodges Persley • September 2023

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"Voices from the Comedy Contact Zone: Regarding Performative Strategies Toward Race and the Transnational Body"

In Punching Up: Stand-Up Comedy Speaking Truth to Power, Routledge • Edited by Rashi Bhargava and Richa Chilana • December 2022

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"Embodying Racial Consciousness: white allyship as given circumstance and objective for the casting and coaching of scene work"

In Dynamic Bodies, Emerging Voices: Race and Actor Training, Routledge • Edited by Amy Mihyang Ginther • December 2022

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Articles

"Trevor Noah"

American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture • ABC-CLIO, LLC • October 2019

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"Key & Peele"

American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture • ABC-CLIO, LLC • October 2019

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"Book Review: A Philosophy of Comedy on Stage and Screen"

Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Vol. 31, No. 2 • University of Kansas Press • Spring 2017

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"Book Review: Gender and Humor: Interdisciplinary and International Perspectives"

Studies in American Humor, Series 4, Vol. 3, No. 1 • Pennsylvania State University Press • May 2017

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"Performance and Book Review: Donelle Woolford's Dick's Last Stand and Dick Jokes"

Studies in American Humor, Special Issue: American Satire and the Post-Modern Condition, Series 4, Vol. 2, No. 2 • November 2016

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"The Story of Your UX Research"

The Center for Human Insight • April 2023

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"Testing the Usability of Sound: The Challenge with Screen Reader Usability"

Co-written with Amber Beecroft • UserTesting.com • February 2023

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"Comedy Above All Else: On Directing The Last Cyclist"

Humor in America Blog • March 2016

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"In Defense of the New Muppets: A Meditation on Self-Aware Comedy"

Humor in America • October 2015

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"A Look at Cassandra"

Phoenix Theatre Ensemble • March 2012

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For copies of publications or to discuss research collaborations, please get in touch.

Contact Rachel