Bio
Laurie Schmeling, a Milwaukee native, teaches theatre history, script analysis, theatre appreciation, and the Broadway musical in American culture. She completed her doctoral coursework and exams in theatre history, theory, and dramatic literature (ABD) at Indiana University, and earned her MA (theatre history, literature, and criticism) at Ohio State University and her BA (English) at St. John’s University, New York.
Laurie has presented her research on the Depression-era Broadway musical at regional and national conferences, including the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR), the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE), and the Popular Culture Association (PCA). She has served as production dramaturg and dramaturgical consultant for 30 productions.
In addition to her theatre courses, Laurie teaches in UWSP’s Upward Bound summer program, a federal TRIO program for first-generation college-bound high school students.
Research and Scholarly Interests
- American Musical Theatre and Film
- Dramaturgy
- American Drama and Theatre History
- Irish Drama and Theatre History
Campus Involvement
- Adviser, Players Student Artistic Alliance
- Executive Board, Faculty and Staff Gender/Sexuality Alliance (2006-2007; 2008-2020)
- Curator and Coordinator, Out on Screen LGBTQ+ Film Fest (2011-2020)
I’m proud of the commitment to artistic growth and intellectual curiosity fostered by our faculty and staff and embraced by our theatre and dance students, and I’m excited how our students’ commitment to equity and inclusivity challenges us all to be socially responsible and responsive educators and artists.
Laurie Schmeling