Dr. Catherine (Cate) Heiner received her PhD in Theatre History and Performance Studies from the University of Washington and her MA from Carnegie Mellon University. She has presented research at the American Society for Theatre Research annual conference, the Mid-America Theatre Conference, and the Comparative Drama Conference, and had work published in Theatre Journal, Theatre Topics, and the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism. As a dramaturg, she has worked on productions of The Oresteia (adapted by Ellen McLaughlin), The Importance of Being Earnest, American Idiot, The Lion in Winter, and the world premiere of An Evening with Two Awful Men. Her research includes exploring the sensory and affective possibilities of theatre and how empathy functions as a progressive political affect.