Marilyn Norris

Marilyn Norris

Administrative Director (Retired), Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance

  • theatre@indiana.edu
  • Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center -
  • Office Hours
    M-F
    By Appointment Only

Education

  • Ph.D., Coursework Completed for Theatre and Drama, Indiana University
  • M.A., University of Florida
  • B.A., Mississippi University for Women

About

Marilyn Norris served as the Administrative Director of the Department and of Brown County Playhouse from 1987 until her retirement in 2007. Prior to that Norris was the Director of Audience Development (1984-87) and Visiting Lecturer (1981-84) at IU, teaching oral interpretation, interpreters theatre, acting, and theatre management. She also served as the supervisor of oral interpretation. She was on the faculty of Mississippi University for Women (1967-78) where she was Director of Forensics and Debate (eight years), Director of Readers Theatre (two years), Acting Director of Theatre (one year), and taught classes in theatre and drama, aesthetic theory, and speech communication.

She acted in and directed numerous productions. Norris was the recipient of MUW's Mortar Board Award for Outstanding Teaching, the Outstanding Critic Judge Award, National Individual Events Speech Tournaments; and the Degree of Highest Distinction from Pi Kappa Delta. She served as Governor, Pi Kappa Delta Province of the Southeast; Chair of the Theatre Division, Southern Speech Communication Association; President of the Mississippi Speech Association; SSCA Executive Council member, and in several editorial posts of the Journal of the American Forensic Association and Southern Speech Communication Journal. She received the National Outstanding Arts Administrator for Small Arts Organizations Award and the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service Administration. Norris served as chair and/or member of fourteen grants advisory panels for Arts Midwest, Great Lakes Art Alliance, and Indiana Arts Commission, an arts management and audience development consultant, and an on-site theatre evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts.