R. Darren Gobert | Scholars@Duke

R. Darren Gobert
William and Sue Gross Professor of Theater Studies

R. Darren Gobert specializes in comparative modern and contemporary Western drama, dramatic and performance theory, and the philosophy of theatre. His publications include The Theatre of Caryl Churchill (Bloomsbury) and The Mind-Body Stage: Passion and Interaction in the Cartesian Theater (Stanford UP), which won both the Ann Saddlemyer Prize from the Canadian Association for Theatre Research and the Barnard Hewitt Award from the American Society for Theatre Research. His other honors include a Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching and the President’s University-Wide Teaching Award from York University.

From 2015 to 2020, he was editor of the journal Modern Drama.

Office Hours

Wednesday and Friday, noon to 1:00 p.m. and by appointment

Current Appointments & Affiliations

William and Sue Gross Professor of Theater Studies, Theater Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2019 - 2024
Professor of Theater Studies, Theater Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2019
Chair of the Department of Theater Studies, Theater Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2021
Professor of English, English, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2019

Contact Information

109D Page, Box 90680, Durham, NC 27708-0680
Box 90680, Durham, NC 27708
rdg37@duke.edu (919) 660-6497

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Columbia University 2003
Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Theater Studies, Theater Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences 2019 - 2021
Academic Positions Outside Duke
- Professor, York University. 2003 - 2018
Recognition
In the News
- MAR 24, 2022 Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
  
  How Two Departments Brought a 17th Century Play to Life in 2022
- MAY 7, 2019
  
  Duke Adds 21 Faculty to Distinguished Faculty Rank
Awards & Honors
Research
Selected Grants
- Supporting the Arts at Duke awarded by Mary Duke Biddle Foundation 2023
Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants
- Insight Grant awarded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 2017 - 2020
- Harry Ransom Center Fellowship awarded by University of Texas at Austin 2016
External Relationships
- Bloomsbury
- Stanford University Press
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Books
  - Gobert, R Darren. The Theatre of Caryl Churchill. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.
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  - Gobert, R Darren. The Mind-Body Stage Passion and Interaction in the Cartesian Theater. Stanford University Press, 2013.
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- Academic Articles
  - Gobert, R Darren. “The Seven Streams of the River Ota: National Theatre, London, UK.” Paj: A Journal of Performance and Art 43, no. 3 (September 1, 2021): 35–39. https://doi.org/10.1162/pajj_a_00576.
    Full Text
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Review of Mount Oympus, directed by Jan Fabre.” Theatre Journal 71, no. 3 (September 21, 2019): 369–73. https://doi.org/10.1353/tj.2019.0088.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren, Ellen Mackay, Craig Owens, Ian Watt, and Tamsen Wolff. “Drama Drama: The State of Drama Studies in the Profession.” The Harold Pinter Review 2, no. 1 (2018): 1–15.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Editor's Note.” Modern Drama 60, no. 4 (2017): iii–vi.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Editor's Note.” Modern Drama 60, no. 4 (2017): iii–vi.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Editor's Note.” Modern Drama 60, no. 3 (2017): iii–v.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “The Field of Modern Drama, or Arcadia.” Modern Drama 58, no. 3 (September 2015): 285–301. https://doi.org/10.3138/md.0761.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Behaviorism, Catharsis, and the History of Emotion.” Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism 26, no. 2 (2012): 109–25. https://doi.org/10.1353/dtc.2012.0004.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “CARTESIAN SUBJECTIVITY ON THE NEOCLASSICAL STAGE; OR, MOLIÈRE ACTS CORNEILLE FOR LOUIS XIV.” Theatre Survey 49, no. 1 (May 2008): 65–89. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0040557408000045.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Finding a Physical Language: Directing for the Nineties Generation.” New Theatre Quarterly 24, no. 2 (May 2008): 141–57. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266464x08000122.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Cognitive Catharsis in The Caucasian Chalk Circle.” Modern Drama 49, no. 1 (March 2006): 12–40. https://doi.org/10.3138/md.49.1.12.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “The Antitheatrical Paradox in Michel Marc Bouchard’s Les Feluettes, ou La Répétition d’un drame romantique.” Canadian Literature == 188 (2006): 47–61.
    Open Access Copy
- Book Sections
  - Gobert, R. D. “Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, or sexuality and gender in non-binary times.” In Analysing Gender in Performance, 179–92, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85574-1_12.
    Full Text
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Adaptations.” In Tom Stoppard in Context, edited by David Kornhaber and James Loehlin, 214–21. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Adaptations.” In Tom Stoppard in Context, edited by David Kornhaber and James Loehlin, 214–21. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
  - Gobert, R Darren. “The Immaterial Matters.” In The Public Intellectual and the Culture of Hope, edited by Jason Haslam and Joel Faflak, 250–67. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Arcadia and the Ghosts of Past Performance.” In Lectures de Tom Stoppard: Arcadia, edited by Liliane Campos and Julie Vatain, 147–59. Rennes: Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2011.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Dramatic Catharsis, Freudian Hysteria, and the "Private Theatre" of Anna O.” In Emotions: A Cultural Studies Reader, edited by Deidre Pribram and Jennifer Harding, 321–35. New York: Routledge, 2009.
  - Gobert, R Darren. “On Performance and Selfhood in Caryl Churchill.” In The Cambridge Companion to Caryl Churchill, edited by Elaine Aston and Elin Diamond, 105–24. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Historicizing Emotion: The Case of Freudian "Hysteria" and Aristotelian "Purgation".” In Emotion, Place and Culture, edited by Mick Smith, Joyce Davidson, Laura Cameron, and Liz Bondi, 57–76. New York: Routledge, 2009.
- Book Reviews
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Review of Acting, Spectating and the Unconscious by Maria Turri.” Theatre Research International. Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2018.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Review of The First Frame: Theatre Space in Enlightenment France by Pannill Camp.” Theatre Journal. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015.
    Open Access Copy
  - Gobert, R Darren. “Review of The Persistence of Allegory: Drama and Neoclassicism from Shakespeare to Wagner by Jane K. Brown.” Modern Philology. University of Chicago Press, 2010.
    Open Access Copy
- Journal Issues
  - Kim, Ju Yon, Lindsay Cummings, J Ellen Gainor, Kyle Frisina, and Thomas Fahy. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, June 2020.
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  - Dean, Julian Breandán, Benjamin Poore, Elizabeth M. Phillips, Brice Ezell, and Irene Morra. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, March 2020.
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  - Epstein, Josh, Kathleen Schaag, Catherine O’Leary, Geoffrey Macdonald, and Rebecca Kastleman. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2019.
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  - Enelow, Shonni, Susan Knutson, Isaiah Matthew Wooden, Jeremy Colangelo, and Lesley Broder. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, May 2019.
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  - Preston, Carrie J., Aoise Stratford, Elicia Clements, Judith Saunders, and Dale Tracy. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, March 2019.
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  - Mansbridge, Joanna, Sarah J. Townsend, Mary F. Brewer, Jason Fitzgerald, and Letizia Fusini. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, December 2018.
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  - Aston, Elaine, Jessica Nakamura, Grant Gosizk, Christopher Morash, Shaun Richards, and Sophie Maruejouls-Koch. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, June 2018.
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  - Goldfarb Styrt, Philip, Marwa Ramadan, Courtney Massie, Raymond Saraceni, and Jordan Schildcrout. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, March 2018.
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  - Claycomb, Ryan, Jennifer Heller, Les Essif, Scott Proudfit, and Andrew Sofer. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, December 2017.
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  - Balkin, Sarah, Stephen Low, Sharon Marcus, Denise Varney, Corey Wakeling, and Kellen Hoxworth. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2017.
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  - Emre, Merve, Trish McTighe, Alan Sikes, Sarah Orem, and Ranu Samantrai. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, June 2017.
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  - Harries, Martin, Ben De Witte, Sue Wilson, Angenette Spalink, and Christopher Wixson. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama, March 2017.
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  - Colbert, Soyica, Anna Stenport, Laurens De Vos, Max Shulman, and Elliott Turley. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, December 2016.
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  - Christiansen, Hope, Verna Foster, Phillip Zapkin, Terry Otten, Armando Garcia, and Neil Cocks. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2016.
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  - Carter, Jill, Sarah Balkin, Minou Arjomand, Ellen Rees, and Keith Appler. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, March 2016.
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  - Thomas, Aaron, Eunha Na, Jacob Stulberg, Paige Reynolds, and Joanna Mansbridge. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, December 2015.
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  - Gobert, R Darren, Heidi Bean, Joseph Cermatori, Matt Cornish, and Paul Lawley. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2015.
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  - Gobert, R Darren, Heidi Bean, Joseph Cermatori, Matt Cornish, and Paul Lawley. “Modern Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2015.
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  - Reinelt, Janelle, Ken Urban, Kim Solga, Aleks Sierz, Candice Amich, Harry Derbyshire, and Christopher Innes. “Recent British Drama.” Edited by R Darren Gobert. Modern Drama. University of Toronto Press, September 2007.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Service to the Profession

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Previous Appointments & Affiliations

Academic Positions Outside Duke

In the News

Awards & Honors

Selected Grants

Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Books

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Book Reviews

Journal Issues

Recent Courses

Service to the Profession