Travis Stern

Biography

Dr. Travis Stern is a Professor of Theatre Arts at Bradley University. He teaches theatre history and literature courses, script analysis, and contemporary theatre practice. He received his Ph.D in Theatre from the University of Illinois and a M.A in Theatre and B.A. in English from Illinois State University. His research focus includes the history and theory of improvisation and comedy as well as intersections of baseball with theater and performance. Dr. Stern is the author of Ballplayers on Stage: Baseball, Melodrama, and Theatrical Celebrity in the Deadball Era published by the University of Tennessee Press in 2024. He has presented his work at the Mid-America Theatre Conference, the American Society for Theatre Research, the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, the Chicago Theater History Symposium, and the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture. Dr. Stern served as president of the Bradley University Senate from 2024-2026. He has been selected by the Slane College of Communication and Fine Arts for the Henry Means Pindell Endowed Professorship for 2026-2030.