Jacqueline Bixler co-edits a new book on the transformation of Latin American theatre

Jacqueline Bixler, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Spanish at Virginia Tech, is co-editor of a new book, "Trans/Acting: Latin American and Latino Performing Arts." Published by Bucknell University Press, this collection focuses on the transformation of Latin American theatre from the local to the global and the national to the transnational.

Co-edited with Laurietz Seda, associate professor of Spanish at the University of Connecticut-Storrs, the book includes 14 essays by prominent scholars of Latin American and U.S. Latino theatre as well as a performance script.

“This collection of essays was inspired by the Latin American Theatre Today conference,” said Bixler, “which was held in 2005 at the University of Connecticut and then hosted by Virginia Tech in 2008.” Professors Bixler and Seda, organizers of the conferences, invited specialists in the field of contemporary Latin American and Latino theatre to contribute essays that participate in current critical debate regarding transnationalism, transculturation, transgender, and other forms of "border crossings." Scholars of Latin American studies, performance art, and globalization will appreciate the topics discussed in Trans/Acting, including its fresh perspective on transculturation in 20th and 21st century Latin American and Latino theatre.

The script, Mexterminator vs. The Global Predator by trans/actor Guillermo Gómez-Peña, emphasizes the performative nature of territorial and symbolic border crossings and complements the study of contemporary theatre and performing arts in the volume of essays.

Bixler, a faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, is respected internationally for her scholarly work on Latin American theatre. Her first book, Convention and Transgression: The Theatre of Emilio Carballido, was published in both the U.S. and Mexico. She has also published in Mexico books on Mexican playwrights Sabina Berman and Víctor Hugo Rascón Banda. Her essays have appeared in numerous journals and books in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. She currently serves as associate editor of the Latin American Theatre Review.

In addition to her publications, Bixler’s passion for Latin America is demonstrated by the campus visits she organizes for scholars and playwrights, and the study abroad opportunities she coordinates for students. She has also introduced the work of new Latin American playwrights to North American scholars through her books, articles, and conference presentations.

Bixler received her Ph.D. and master’s degree from the University of Kansas and her bachelor’s degree from Ohio University. She has been a faculty member at Virginia Tech since 1980.

Written by Lindsey Love, communication major.