Bio

Joe Salvatore founded the Verbatim Performance Lab (VPL) at New York University’s Steinhardt School in 2017. Under his direction, VPL has created 20 live theatre and video projects and facilitated 16 educational residencies, in person and virtually, throughout the United States. Joe’s most recent verbatim documentary theatre production with collaborator Keith R. Huff, entitled Whatever you are, be a good one (October 2022), explores political polarization in the United States, and prompted Peter Marks, chief drama critic at The Washington Post, to write “Salvatore’s work dovetails with an innovative, hybrid genre – a mix of drama and journalism – that sees conversation gleaned from interviews as a way to intensify authenticity and stir vigorous reflection.” Joe is a Clinical Professor of Educational Theatre and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions at NYU, where he teaches courses in verbatim performance, ethnodrama, and community-engaged theatre.

Project

During my time in residence, I will work on a book manuscript about ethnodrama, specifically chapters on dissemination of arts-based research findings through performance and evaluation of those findings as they relate to audiences, interview participants, and performers. I will engage in dialogue with the other members of the residency collective to deepen my understandings of the aesthetics and ethics surrounding dissemination and evaluation in arts-based research projects.