Ilinca Todoruț

Ilinca Tamara Todoruț is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Theatre and Film, Babeș-Bolyai University, where she teaches courses in critical writing, dramaturgy, digital theatre, intermedia performance, and contemporary theatre. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Playwriting from Middlebury College in Vermont, U.S.A. She holds a Master of Arts in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism degree from Yale School of Drama, as well as a Doctor in Fine Arts degree from the same university. Her stage dramaturgy portfolio includes productions at the Yale Repertory Theatre (such as Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, dir. Liz Diamond), and The American Theatre for Actors in New York, NY (Elfriede Jelinek’s Shadow. Eurydice Says, dir. Jessica Rizzo). Her research interests focus on the intersections of theatre, technology, and society, as shown by her numerous publications in reputed peer-reviewed journals such as Theater Magazine, TDR: The Drama Review, Performance Research, Journal of Poverty, and Theatre History Studies. She collaborates with Romanian and international theatre publications such as Scena.ro and TheTheatreTimes.com, and contributed to The Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy edited by Magda Romanska. She served as Artistic Director of the 2023 International Online Theatre Festival (IOTF) that showcased 39 shows from 23 countries. Dr. Todoruț’s research is characterized by a deep engagement with critical theory and a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, as evidenced by her book Christoph Schlingensief’s Realist Theater (Routledge, 2022). Before BBU, she taught at Yale as well at the United World College in China.

[Research Statement drafted by AI]

Ilinca Todoruț’s research focuses on the evolving landscape of contemporary theatre and performance, emphasizing the intersections between theatrical practices, digital media, and sociopolitical issues. She explores how theatre adapts to and reflects our rapidly changing world, especially in the context of neoliberal havoc, climate crisis, and global socio-political shift.

A key area of her work involves examining realist theatre traditions and their modern interpretations. Her book on Christoph Schlingensief builds on this foundation, investigating how a crucial contemporary artist reframes and challenges traditional theatrical realism to engage with pressing social and political concerns.

Her research in digital and online theatre forms explores how virtual platforms and digital technologies are reshaping performance production and dissemination. This interest extends to investigating the potential of cyberperformance and digital dramaturgy in creating new modes of artistic expression and audience interaction.

Another significant strand of her research concerns the role of theatre in negotiating national and transnational identities. She examines how theatrical practices reflect and contribute to discussions of multilingualism, cultural identity, political change, and social transformation in post-1989 Europe.

More recently, her work has begun to engage with eco-dramaturgy and the relationship between theatre and environmental issues. She is exploring how theatrical practices can contribute to ecological awareness and activism, and how environmental concerns are shaping new forms of performance.

Throughout her research, Ilinca Todoruț employs interdisciplinary approaches, drawing on critical theory, feminist perspectives, and urban studies to provide comprehensive analyses of contemporary theatrical phenomena. Her goal is to contribute to a deeper understanding of theatre’s potential to address crucial societal challenges.