Department of Social Science
Victoria Rue
Lecturer in Women's Studies
CV | Education | Courses Taught | Publications | Service | Presentations | Honors
Dr. Rue offers courses in both Women’s Studies and Comparative Religious Studies at SJSU. “Teaching in Women’s Studies” she says “is a wonderful opportunity to walk alongside women and men students as they open new doors of understanding about the intersection of race, class and gender.”
One of the distinctive approaches that Dr. Rue uses in her teaching is reading plays and encouraging students to participate in theatre exercises. “Learning should be about engaging the entire body—not just the brain,” she says. “Feminist pedagogy begins with lived experience, and the theatre is a way to access everyday life, while also enjoying the process.”
Dr. Rue is also a feminist theologian, and writer/director/teacher of theatre. Her book, Acting Religious: Theatre as Pedagogy in Religious Studies was published in 2005 by Pilgrim Press.
Dr. Rue is an ordained womanpriest in the Roman Catholic tradition. Her ministries include teaching, writing and directing theatre. Since spring 2006, she has led two weekly Eucharistic services for students and the larger community at the SJSU chapel.
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Education
Ph.D., Theology & the Arts, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, 1994
M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) Union Theological Seminary, New York City, New York, 1988
B.A., Theatre, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 1970
Courses Taught:
WOMS 20. Women of Color in the U.S
WOMS 101. The Study of Women
WOMS 150. Women & Popular Culture
WOMS 160. Women, Race & Class
Most Recent Publications:
Acting Religious: Theatre as Pedagogy in Religious Studies. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2005
"Feminist Theatre," in Encyclopedia of American
Religions and Culture. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio, 2005
“Bodied Knowledge: Theatre as a Pedagogical Tool.” The Arts in Religious and Theological Studies 15:1 (2003), United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
“Acting Religious:Theatre as Pedagogy in Teaching Religious Studies,” Council of Societies for the Study of Religion Bulletin 32:3 (2003)
"Acting Religious: Theatre as a Pedagogical Tool for Religious Studies," Religious Studies News, American Academy of Religion, March 2002
"A Critical Mass: Enacting the Future," Open Hand: An Interfaith Magazine, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2002
Professional & Community Service
Ordained Roman Catholic Womanpriest, 2005
Director, Artist in Residence Program, Actors’ Theatre Santa Cruz, ’03—‘05
Project Director, The Literacy and Theatre Project, St. Lawrence University, ’02-‘03
Co-Founder, "A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist" (Roman Catholic ritual group in existence for seven years), Oakland, California '97--2003
Project Director, Toxic Avengers Theater,
Santa Clara Center for Occupational Safety and Health,
San Jose, l998--2000 (theater with low income workers in the Silicon
Valley )
Program Director, Interdisciplinary Arts and Social Change Masters Program, New College of California, l994
Recent Talks & Presentations
“Theatre as Pedagogy in the Teaching of Religious Studies,”American Academy of Religion, National Meeting 2005. Also Western Regional 2003 & ‘04
"Feminist pedagogy begins with lived experience, and the theatre is a way to access everyday life, while also enjoying the process."
--Prof. Victoria Rue
“Theatre as Pedagogy in the Teaching of Religious Studies,” Center for Teaching and Learning, St. Lawrence University 2002. Also in Dept. of Religious Studies, St. Lawrence University, 2001
“A Critical Mass: Women Celebrating Eucharist,” (a monthly feminist Roman Catholic Mass , created and celebrated with Roman Catholic women), Oakland, California 1997-2000
“Life Texts” and “The Landscape of Our Bodies: Sexuality and Spirituality,” Common Boundary Conference, Wash. D.C., 1996
"Sarah/Abraham/Hagar: Enacting the Texts of Genesis" a six day seminar, Feminist Doctor of Ministry Program, San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995
"Women's Sexuality, and Spirituality" Retreat leader, MCC-San Jose,1995
Playwriting & Directing
"Approaching the Qur'an: theatre & movement exploration of four suras from the Qur’an," Mosaic Theatre Festival, Santa Cruz ‘05
"Polaroid Stories" by Naomi Iitzuka, California State University Monterey Bay ‘03
Co-writer/director, "Love's Shadow," bilingual Vietnamese play, San Jose Stage, Downtown Arts Series, April '03
"Do You Read Me?" a play about reading and writing, written with high school and college students of UpstateNew York; funded by a grant from Verizon; toured to high schools in Upstate New York ‘03
"Like Heaven/Nhu Thien Dang," a bilingual play about Vietnamese immigrant experience in the U.S. Created with the members of San Khau Viet CALI (2000, ‘01), San Jose Stage Company 2000, Milpitas Community Theatre 2001
Honors & Awards
Verizon/Independent College Fund of NY, Grantee for Literacy and Theatre, ‘02-03
Lilly Luce Fellow 2000-2001. Religious Studies: Teaching in the Global Community.
Artist In Residence Grant, California Arts Commission, ’99, ’00
The California Endowment, grantee for Toxic Avengers Theatre, ’98—‘00
Best Play of 1993 for "CancerBodies" awarded by Tribad Productions
New Langton Arts Artists' Collaborative Projects Grant, 1992