Jerry Jaffe, Ph.D. | Faculty

Professor of Theater

1 (440) 375-7451

jjaffe@lec.edu

Arts, Humanities, and Honors

College Campus | Royce Hall

Education

  • Ph.D., Bowling Green State University

  • M.A., Brown University

  • B.A., University of Toledo

Background

Jerry has been teaching at Lake Erie College since 2008 and has directed numerous plays here, including Measure for Measure, I Hate Hamlet, Dracula, and many more. He previously lived and worked in Japan and New Zealand, having over 100 directing credits on 3 continents. He has published widely on theatre and comedy, with numerous articles, conference presentations and book reviews. He co-edited the book Performing Japan: Contemporary Expressions of Cultural Identity. What makes Lake Erie College a unique place?

  • Theatre students at Lake Erie College, as well as all students interested in theatre, get a chance to work on exciting pieces of performance art in a supportive environment with a high degree of personal mentoring. I spend a lot of time, in class, in rehearsals, and in general, with all of my students.

Courses Taught:

  • Acting

  • Shakespeare

  • Comedy

  • History

  • Japan

Research/Creative Activity Interests:

  • Primary focuses:

    • Acting

    • Directing

    • Standup comedy

Awards/Professional Memberships:

  • Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies

  • Popular Culture Association

  • Honors for best production and best actress, THE SHAPE of THINGS (2006) (IN THE New Zealand Listener)

  • Honors for best supporting actor, STAGE BLOOD (2007) (IN THE New Zealand Listener)

Publications:

  • Performing Japan: Contemporary Expressions of Cultural Identity. Global Oriental LTD, University of Hawaii Press: 2008 (co-edited with Henry Johnson)

  • "I needed to go to this tabernacle of ignorance”: Marc Maron’s critique of the Creation Museum."Bulletin for the Study of Religion, Vol 42, No 3 (2013).

  • "Loop/I/-ness in the New Zealand Performance of Identity (or, Id Entity).”Australasian Drama Studies 55 (Oct 2009).

Career Accomplishments:

  • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BINGO PARALLAX THEATRE GROUP, TSUKUBA, JAPAN:English language community theatre located in this college town 50 miles north of Tokyo which I began and operated for approximately two years, 12/95-2/98.

  • Taught at Universities in Japan and New Zealand (Tsukuba University & Otago University)

  • Performed standup comedy all over the country, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, as well as many other places.

  • Produced the Marx Bros. show FLYWHEEL, SHYSTER, AND FLYWHEEL was part of the 2007 New Zealand International Comedy festival

  • Coproduces and hosts a podcast called GOLD STAR CLASSROOM, with Prof Steven Gutierrez, since 2013.