Prof. Shoemaker Publishes ‘Collaborative Performance for Social Justice’

Deanna Shoemaker, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Communication, recently published her co-authored book, "Collaborative Performance for Social Justice in Classrooms, on Campuses, and with Communities" (Routledge Publishing, 2025).

Written with Tessa Carr, Ph.D., professor of Theatre and Dance at Auburn University, the book offers a broad spectrum of collaborative and accessible performance-based practices that promote social justice within college classrooms, rehearsal spaces, campus stages, and local communities. It is also featured in the Routledge Social Justice Communication Activism series.

"Drawing on our own case studies from the interdisciplinary fields of communication, performance studies, and theatre, we theorize and demonstrate a broad spectrum of performance-based approaches that can function as critical action in the world … In pulling back the curtain to bring this kind of learning to life, we include autoethnographic (personal) writing that is contextualized within larger socio-political-cultural structures. We consider our own educational journeys, critical reflections, insights, and challenges from our experiences collaborating with students for over 20 years," Shoemaker said.

"Collaborative Performance for Social Justice" additionally explores:

• Performance-based projects in classrooms and across campuses as real-world meeting spaces and stages
• Feminist directing practices that demonstrate care and shared agency while disrupting systems of representation
• Relational devising methods to create original work that addresses pressing social challenges
• Adaptation of archival materials and published literature to challenge historical narratives
• Ethical approaches to bring students and community members together for democratic engagement

"This book ultimately calls for more joy, courage, critical thinking, and embodied collaboration in educational settings as a way to imagine and create more equitable outcomes," Shoemaker said.