Mary Jo Lodge

As a scholar, Mary Jo Lodge focuses on theater, specifically musical theater. Lodge works both as a creative artist and as a more traditional scholarly writer. Her areas of expertise as a creative artist include directing, choreographing, designing, and acting. As a director, she specializes in musical theater, theater for young audiences, and literary adaptations. Her research, writing, and publications focus on several related areas: popular culture as entertainment, the musical and popular culture, the musical and gender, musical theater form and structure, and the musical in mediums beyond the stage. Mary Jo Lodge teaches course in all levels of Acting, Musical Theater Performance and History, Theater for Young Audiences, Introduction to Theater, Women in American Theater, and Theater and Social Change.

Selected publications

“Dance Breaks and Dream Ballets: Transitional Moments in Musical Theatre,” published in Gestures of Musical Theater, Eds. Dominic Symonds and Millie Taylor, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2014. 75-90.

“Knocked Up, Not Knocked Out: Xena: Warrior Princess, Pregnant Action Hero.” In Heroes of Film, Comics and American Culture. Ed. Lisa DeTora. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009. 218-33.

“Special Theatrical Event: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.” Studies in Musical Theatre 3.2 (2009), 213-18.

“The Rise of the Female Director/Choreographer on Broadway.” In Women in American Musical Theatre. Ed. Bud Coleman and Judith A. Sebesta. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008. 221-43.

“Beyond ‘Jumping the Shark’: The New Television Musical.” Studies in Musical Theatre 1.3 (2008), 293-305.

Recent directing and choreography experience

Director/Choreographer for The Arabian Nights for Lafayette College Theatre, performed on the Mainstage at the Williams Center for the Arts, March 2013.

Director/Choreographer for Rent for Lafayette College Theatre, performed on the Mainstage at the Williams Center for the Arts, November 2011.

Director/Choreographer/Sound Designer of A Thousand Cranes for Lafayette College Theater, Mainstage at the Williams Center for the Arts, September/October 2010.

Director/Choreographer/Costume Designer of The Jungle Book for Lafayette College Theater, Black Box Theater at the Williams Center for the Arts, April 2010.

Director/Choreographer of Little Women for Lafayette College Theater, Black Box Theatre at the Williams Center for the Arts, October, November 2009.

Director/Choreographer of Urinetown for Lafayette College Theater, Mainstage at the Williams Center for the Arts, October 2008.

Director/Choreographer of the professional premiere of Carter Anne McGowan’s new play The Grecian Formula at the New York International Fringe Festival, Bleecker Street Theater, New York City, August 2008.

Awards
American College Theater Festival Certificate for Outstanding Direction and Choreography (for Urinetown).

Additional profile