La Donna L. Forsgren

La Donna L. Forsgren is an Associate Professor of Film, Television, and Theatre with a joint appointment in the Department of Africana Studies. She is concurrent faculty in the Gender Studies Program at the University of Notre Dame. She serves as Editor for Theatre Survey.

Her first book, In Search of Our Warrior Mothers: Women Dramatists of the Black Arts Movement (Northwestern UP, 2018), investigates the works and careers of Black women playwrights: Martie Evans-Charles, J.e. Franklin, Sonia Sanchez, and Barbara Ann Teer. Her second book, Sistuhs in the Struggle: An Oral History of the Black Arts Movement Theatre and Performance (Northwestern UP, 2020), is a finalist for ATHE’s Outstanding Book Award (2021). Her current book project, Black Girlhood on the Musical Theatre Stage (under contract, Oxford UP), explores Black queer feminist spectatorship and representations of Black girlhood in contemporary musical theatre.

Dr. Forsgren considers raising five really awesome children her most outstanding achievement.