Professor Joel Schechter teaches Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theatre History at San Francisco State University. He previously taught at the New School for Social Research, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the Yale School of Drama, where he was a Professor of Dramatic Literature and Dramaturgy. His books include Durov’s Pig: Clowns, Politics and Theatre (1985), Satiric Impersonations: From Aristophanes to the Guerrilla Girls (1994), and The Congress of Clowns (1998). He also served as Editor in Chief of Theater Magazine at Yale. While at SF State, he has planned and overseen “The Congress of Clowns: A Conference on Comedy,” coordinated the Circus Arts and Russian theatre workshops for CSU’s Summer Arts program, and SF State’s collaboration with the San Francisco Mime Troupe’s Youth Project.