jessica del vecchio

deviser, dramaturg, director and singer/songwriter

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I view theory and practice as inextricably linked, and I find my critical work always informs my creative endeavors, just as my creative work enriches my more academic pursuits. As a scholar, I use queer and feminist theory as lenses for examining contemporary experimental performance, representations of masculinity, popular culture, and media. As a practitioner, I use performance to investigate many of the same topics.

I am a classically-trained singer with an acting background, and my work almost always involves music. As songwriter and singer, I fronted the neo-classic rock group Valentino Drag for years, before co-founding the acclaimed "country camp" trio Menage A Twang in 2005. I also work as a dramaturg on new experimental performance. I am currently developing an original theatre piece featuring archival research, ethnographic work, and lesbian feminist music from the 1970s and 80s.