School of Theatre Arts

Theatre Scholarship and Performance

Head of BA Theatre Program

RJ Hodde (he/him) is a director, educator, and physical dramaturg
specializing in ensemble comedy. His research examines performance
pedagogy, genre theory, and queer aesthetics across media ecosystems. RJ is
visiting Illinois Wesleyan University as part of a two-year appointment in
Theatre Scholarship and Performance, teaching foundational coursework
across disciplines while also serving as Head of the BA Theatre Arts
program.

RJ joins the School of Theatre Arts faculty having spent the last two
academic years teaching regionally in higher education throughout northwest
Pennsylvania. Prior to that, he spent three and a half years as a Directing
candidate and Associate Instructor of Theatre at Indiana University, where
he taught Acting, Voice, Movement, and Styles. During his time at IU, RJ’s
work with students was recognized by the Association for Theatre in Higher
Education for pedagogical developments in Camp and Clown as modes of
actor-character training.

He is a graduate of the conservatory at DePaul University (Chicago) and the
Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre (California). From
2010-2018, RJ lived in Portland, where he worked in both administration and
governance for some of Oregon’s best regional companies, specializing in
community engagement and mission-driven projects management. Throughout his
career and many locations, he has collaborated on literary, original, and
paratheatrical productions as an adaptor and author, choreographer,
director, and dramaturg. Additional training includes The Lee Strasberg
Theatre & Film Institute (New York), NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and Old
Town School of Folk Music (Chicago).

 

Education

MFA, Indiana University

BFA, DePaul University

 

Professional Affiliations

Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)