Mercilee Jenkins

Dr. Mercilee Jenkins is a Professor Emerita of Communication Studies at San Francisco State University. Her teaching, research and creative work are informed by feminist theory and critical ethnography, and she considers performance an essential way of making social change. She focuses on the intersectionalities of social constructions such as gender, sexuality, race, class and age as rich material for her art and life. Her most recent academic publication is the lead chapter she co-authored with Dr. Karen Lovaas in Queer Communication Pedagogy. Her solo performance pieces and plays addressing social issues include her latest effort, “My First Boss,” presented at The Marsh International Solo Performance Festival and “Winning," published in The Best American Shorts Plays 2014-2015. Her full-length play, Spirit of Detroit focusing on the 1967 rebellion/riot was presented in Detroit at The Wright Museum of African American History. She is also a poet whose poem, “Peonies in a Pandemic” was recently published in the San Francisco Chronicle. She is currently part of the writing team for 3 Girls Theatre’s "The Sins And Secrets Of Tabard Lake, a pandemic radio play whodunit.” Jewish community.