Dr. Mark Sussman

Biography

Mark Sussman is a theatre artist and Performance Studies scholar working at the intersection of animation, public space, and material dramaturgies involving puppetry and object performance. He earned his MA and PhD degrees in Performance Studies from New York University, where his doctoral dissertation explored 18th and 19th-century stagings of new technologies, particularly electricity, and was awarded the Michael Kirby Memorial Award. Sussman joined the faculty at Concordia University in Montreal in 2005 and has been a Professor in the Department of Theatre. He also served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the Faculty of Fine Arts for six years. In Summer 2020, he was appointed director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture at Concordia, which fosters collaboration among researchers and provides a space for events and gatherings in the humanities and arts. Prior to Concordia, he taught at various institutions including New York University and Barnard College, focusing on performance studies, drama, and theatre-related courses. He is a co-artistic director of Great Small Works, a theatre collective dedicated to innovative performance techniques, public involvement, and original theatrical productions. His extensive teaching and research cover topics such as performance in the contemporary city, queer theatre, and puppet theatre. Sussman is also actively involved in various community-based arts initiatives and scholarly collaborations, contributing significantly to the field of performance studies.

Research Interests

Experience