Dr. Aileen Robinson

Biography

Aileen K. Robinson is an Assistant Professor in Theater Performance Studies at Stanford University. Her academic journey began with an A.B. in Literature from Harvard University, followed by an interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama from Northwestern University. Robinson’s scholarly interests lie at the intersection of performance, technology, and history, focusing particularly on 18th and 19th-century British theatre and Black cultural performances. She has conducted extensive archival research in Britain and the United States, receiving prestigious fellowships from the Social Science Research Council and the National Science Foundation. As a Mellon Fellow in the Scholars Humanities program at Stanford from 2016 to 2018, she began exploring the intricate connections between systems of knowledge and performance practice. Her current book manuscript investigates how early 19th-century science museums and theatrical performances utilized technological innovations to disseminate scientific knowledge. In her teaching, Robinson covers topics such as the history of science performance, magic technology, and stagecraft, particularly how these intersect with 19th and 20th-century Black artistic production.

Research Interests

Courses