LaNeshe Miller-White Will Headline 16th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium at Villanova University

Villanova Theatre is thrilled to announce the 16th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium (PTRS), featuring a keynote address by LaNeshe Miller-White, Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia and co-founder of Theatre in the X.

The theme of this year's conference is "Theatre & Community" which stems from a continued interest in how theatre builds systems of community and benefits from it. Over the past several years, the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted and tested theatre's many communities. As we gather together for the first in-person PTRS since 2019, we turn our attention to the past, present, and future of theatre and community.

PTRS seeks to highlight the work of established and emerging theatre scholars and practitioners alike. Open to the public, we welcome all to participate in a conversation about what community means and what theatre might look like as we turn to the future.

PTRS will take place on Friday, April 29th from 9am - 5pm. There will be a lunch break from 11:50 - 12:50pm, and a reception to follow the afternoon workshop with LaNeshe Miller-White and Theatre in the X Artists.

LaNeshe Miller-White currently serves as the Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia. Miller-White has more than 15 years of experience on the Philly scene. After graduating from Temple University, Miller-White worked as the marketing manager of Painted Bride Art Center for over nine years. During that time, she also co-founded Theatre in the X, a company dedicated to breaking down the barriers to the art from by providing accessible productions in Philadelphia's Malcolm X Park for no cost. She is a two-time Leeway Foundation Art & Change grantee, and was the Philadelphia co-chief representative for the national organization the Parent-Artist Advocacy League (PAAL). She was named a 2012 Knight Foundation Emerging Leaders Fellow, a 2013 National Performance Network Wesley V. Montgomery Memorial Mentorship & Leadership Award winner, and 2015 and 2017 City of Philadelphia Performances in Public Spaces grants recipient. She is also a Philadelphia Arts & Business Council Designing Leadership Program Graduate. Read more about LaNeshe Miller-White here.

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