Rate My Professor Stuart Young

Emeritus Professor Stuart Young is a leading figure in Theatre Studies within the University of Otago's School of Performing Arts. He holds an MA(Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington and a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where his research centered on Anton Chekhov. Joining the University of Otago over 18 years ago, Young served as Head of the Theatre Programme during a period of expansion and later as Head of the School of Performing Arts from 2015, following the integration of Dance with Music and Theatre. Promoted to Professor in 2015, he retired in July 2024 and was honored with Emeritus Professor status for his exceptional service to research, teaching, and theatre communities.

Young's academic interests encompass documentary and verbatim theatre, Russian drama—especially Chekhov and its reception abroad—translation studies for the theatre, modern British and New Zealand drama, gay and queer drama, and theatre directing. He advanced practice-led research in verbatim theatre in New Zealand through collaborations with Hilary Halba and the community group Talking House, producing nationally toured works such as Hush: A Verbatim Play about Family Violence (2009-2011), Be | Longing exploring immigrants' settlement experiences (premiered 2012), The Keys are in the Margarine on dementia, and the immersive installation Struggling with Lentils (2021). His translations of Chekhov plays, including The Cherry Orchard (Circa Theatre, Wellington, 2005) and Uncle Vanya (2007), alongside directorial works like Three Sisters and Vanya on Shortland St, have significantly influenced local theatre. A committed scholar, Young authored the forthcoming book Documentary and Verbatim Theatre: Tracing Methodologies and Practitioners (Routledge, 2026) and co-edited Ethical Exchanges: Translation, Adaptation and Dramaturgy (Brill). His peer-reviewed articles in journals including New Theatre Quarterly, Modern Drama, and Theatre Journal—such as 'Playing with Documentary Theatre: Aalst and Taking Care of Baby' (2009) and 'Making the Representation Real' (2021)—have shaped discourse on verbatim practices and Chekhovian adaptations. Young delivered keynotes at international conferences, including the 2010 Acting with Facts event, co-convened the International Federation of Theatre Research's Translation working group, hosted the 2019 UNESCO Cities of Literature Short Play Festival, served on the Fortune Theatre board, and received a Fulbright award in 2020 for research at New York University's Verbatim Performance Lab. His contributions have profoundly impacted theatre scholarship and practice.