Elena Pérez
About
I am Associate Professor in Drama and Theatre at the Department of Art and Media Studies. I have a bachelor degree in English Literature from Complutense University Madrid, a masters degree in Theatre Studies from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, and a PhD in Drama and Theatre from NTNU. In 2009-2010 I had a research stay at the department of Theatre, dance and performance studies at the University of California, UC Berkely. From 2016-2020 I took a break from academia and I worked as artistic director in an art gallery, Trondheim Kunstforening. Originally from Madrid, I have lived in Trondheim since 2010.
Teaching and supervising
I teach and supervise both bachelor and masterstudents. I teach subjects such as Performance Theory, Contemporary Dramaturgy, Theatre production (with a focus on sustainability) and Innovation and Entrepeneurship across the art fields.
Research interest - Mission statement
I work with performing arts, technology and sustainability. I use theories and methods from performance studies, post-humanist scholarhip, and media and game studies to investigate contemporary art fields of practice such as performance and technology and ecological theatre. My purpose is to create awareness of the potential that the performing arts have to bring about change.
Selected research projects
Ripple Effects: Understanding the Link Between Biodiversity and Societal Safety is an interdisciplinary project under the public outreach program of the Gjærevoll Centre at NTNU. Together with colleagues from the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management (Siri Holen, Natchiyar Balasubramanian, and Ottar Michelsen), performing artist Kari Melhuus Jenssen, and myself from the Department of Art and Media Studies, we explore how people perceive the connection between biodiversity loss and societal safety. The project began with a participatory workshop at Rosendal Theater in December 2024 and was presented at the Congress of Ecological Humanities in Barcelona in 2025.
Turning it sustainable is a pilot project together with Ass.Proff. Heli Aaltonen where we investigate how to incorporate sustainability values and methods in our teaching in the bachelor and master study programs. We collaborate with leading figures in the theatre branch such as Bæredygtig scenekunst NU to do so. We also using the courses as empirical material for research. First article coming out of this research project is Turning it sustainable: implementing sustainability goals in theatre productions at NTNU(2023)
In 2021 I was awarded funding from Norwegian Arts Council research program Digital kultur, estetiske praksiser to carry out a project with Emeritus Professor Ellen Foyn Brunn. Our article Interactivity and togetherness in digital theatre (2023) investigated how the Norwegian proffessional theatre field put to use different digital tools to be able to continue to create work during the pandemic and how this was received by the audience.
My doctoral thesis The Impact of Digital Media on Contemporary Performance (2016) investigated how the performig arts incorporate video (multimedia/intermedial teater), internet (telematic/networked performance) and mobile phones (pervasive or distributed performance) to create and communicate meaning. I used practice-based research methodology where I created my own performance Chain Reaction and used as the basis to answer my theoretical questions.
If you are applying for a PhD position at the Faculty of Humanities: Inquiries about PhD supervision related to sustainability, ecology and artivism in performing arts will be prioritized.
Publications
2023
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2023)
Turning it sustainable: implementing sustainability goals in theatre productions at NTNU.
Nordic Journal of Art & Research (A & R)
Academic article
2022
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena;
Bruun, Ellen Foyn.
(2022)
Interactivity and togetherness in digital theatre.
Academic chapter
2020
-
Hovik, Lise;
Pérez, Elena.
(2020)
Baby Becomings. Towards a Dramaturgy of Sympoietic Worlding.
Nordic Theatre Studies
Academic article
2019
-
Pérez, Elena;
Efstathiou, Sophia;
Swierstra, Tsjalling.
(2019)
Getting our hands dirty with technology -The role of the performing arts in technological development.
Peripeti
Academic article
2016
-
Pérez, Elena;
Rasmussen, Bjørn K.;
Tronstad, Ragnhild.
(2016)
THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE: How Digital Media Challenge Theatrical Conventions in Multimedia Theatre, Telematic and Pervasive Performance.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
2015
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2015)
The Expansion of Theatrical Space and the Role of the Spectator.
Nordic Theatre Studies
Academic article
2014
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Academic research and artistic practice in Chain Reaction: Methodology on Two Levels.
InFormation - Nordic Journal of Art and Research
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Fostering participation through ubiquitous media in pervasive performance.
Ubiquity. The journal of pervasive media
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Out of the comfort zone.
DRAMA – Nordisk dramapedagogisk tidsskrift
Professional article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Meaningful connections: Exploring the uses of telematic technology in performance.
Liminalities - a journal of performance studies
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Experiential documentation in pervasive performance: the democratization of the archive.
International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media
Academic article
2013
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena;
Coteron, LS.
(2013)
Performance meets games: considering interaction strategies in game design.
Digital Creativity
Academic article
2010
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2010)
Pervasive games and theatre: participation and open source.
DRAMA – Nordisk dramapedagogisk tidsskrift
Professional article
2008
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena.
(2008)
The language of digital media in the theatre of Robert Lepage.
Academic chapter
Journal publications
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Academic research and artistic practice in Chain Reaction: Methodology on Two Levels.
InFormation - Nordic Journal of Art and Research
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2010)
Pervasive games and theatre: participation and open source.
DRAMA – Nordisk dramapedagogisk tidsskrift
Professional article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Fostering participation through ubiquitous media in pervasive performance.
Ubiquity. The journal of pervasive media
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Out of the comfort zone.
DRAMA – Nordisk dramapedagogisk tidsskrift
Professional article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Meaningful connections: Exploring the uses of telematic technology in performance.
Liminalities - a journal of performance studies
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena;
Efstathiou, Sophia;
Swierstra, Tsjalling.
(2019)
Getting our hands dirty with technology -The role of the performing arts in technological development.
Peripeti
Academic article
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena;
Coteron, LS.
(2013)
Performance meets games: considering interaction strategies in game design.
Digital Creativity
Academic article
-
Hovik, Lise;
Pérez, Elena.
(2020)
Baby Becomings. Towards a Dramaturgy of Sympoietic Worlding.
Nordic Theatre Studies
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2023)
Turning it sustainable: implementing sustainability goals in theatre productions at NTNU.
Nordic Journal of Art & Research (A & R)
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2014)
Experiential documentation in pervasive performance: the democratization of the archive.
International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media
Academic article
-
Pérez, Elena.
(2015)
The Expansion of Theatrical Space and the Role of the Spectator.
Nordic Theatre Studies
Academic article
Part of book/report
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena;
Bruun, Ellen Foyn.
(2022)
Interactivity and togetherness in digital theatre.
Academic chapter
-
Perez Rodriguez, Maria Elena.
(2008)
The language of digital media in the theatre of Robert Lepage.
Academic chapter
Student thesis or dissertation
-
Pérez, Elena;
Rasmussen, Bjørn K.;
Tronstad, Ragnhild.
(2016)
THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE: How Digital Media Challenge Theatrical Conventions in Multimedia Theatre, Telematic and Pervasive Performance.
Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
Doctoral thesis
Teaching
Bachelor courses
HFO1002 Entrepreneurship and innovation in applied aesthetics
DRA1003 Theatre production
Master courses
DRA3004 Contemporary dramaturgy
DRA3003 Performance Theory: perspectives and concepts
PhD courses
EH8000Topics in Environmental Humanities. Environmental storytelling and narrative
Outreach
2025
-
Conference lectureHolen, Siri Mariane; B, Natchiyar; Jenssen, Kari Melhuus; Michelsen, Ottar; Pérez, Elena. (2025) Ripple effects: Perceptions of the connection between biodiversity loss and societal safety. 2nd International Congress of Ecological Humanites