Jess Applebaum (she/her) is a dramaturg-scholar whose practice is rooted in contemporary performance and social action. As a dramaturg she works collaboratively with performance makers, academics, and activists to develop and facilitate creative processes. Her work pays particular attention to lifting up the cultural and political context of each project: identifying how the content developed serves both its creators and its audience in a shared, live moment. As a PhD candidate in CUNY’s Theater and Performance program, Jess’s scholarship focuses on the labor of dramaturgy: pushing the perceived boundaries of how research is performed and applied in both creative and academic work. She believes that bodies perform knowledge, process activates power, and that, together, they can inspire new pedagogical and civic practices.

SELECTED WORK:
-Being part of The ‘Songs’ Brain and Body Trust for Jillian Walker's Songs of Speculation, direction by Mei Ann Teo, lights by Tuce Yasak, full Brain and Body Trust beings Brandon Webster, Dominique Rider, Kris Sidberry, and Susan Heyward

-Pillowtalk written and directed by Kyoung Park for Kyoung's Pacific Beat

-Happiness Machines #1 created by Nic Benacerraf, Jess Applebaum, Marina McClure, Camden Place and produced by ChaShaMa