Lorraine Moller, PhD.
Lorraine
Moller, PhD
Associate Professor
Phone number
212.237.8320
Room number
336.09HH
Education

PhD -  New York University
MA   -  New York University
BFA -  New York University

Bio

Lorraine Moller is an Associate Professor in Communication & Theatre Arts. She has directed many departmental productions, most recently View from the Bridge.  She has also directed several productions at Sing Sing and Bayview Correctional Facilities and is the recipient of an ACTF Outreach Award for her production of Metamorphosis at Bayview Correctional. Her last production at Sing Sing,  A Few Good Men, was documented in a recently released film by Goldcrest Films about the impact of the project on the prisoners involved in the production.  In 2015, Professor Moller received the Faculty Scholarly Excellence Award.  Her most recent writing is focused on documenting the benefits of theatre for incarcerated women and men. She is part of the original team of founders of Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA), a program operating in five New York State Prisons

 

JJC Affiliations
The Theatre Minor
Courses Taught

Dr. Moller has taught numberous courses in theatre and communications, several of which were developed specifically for the department.  They include: Sociodrama I & II, Theatre of the Oppressed, Acting I, Acting II, Improvisation, Video Basics, Criminal Justice and the Theatre, Introduction to the Theatre, Social Encounters: Interpersonal Communication and Public Speaking. She has also taught Directing at colleges outside of the CUNY system. 

Professional Memberships

ATHE, NCA, NEA

 

Scholarly Work

Moller, Lorraine. (Summer 2014/Fall 2014). Project “For Colored Girls:” Breaking the shackles of role deprivation through prison theatre. Scholar & Feminist On-line. 12(3)-13(1). Reprinted with the permission of The Arts in Psychotherapy for a special issue on Ntozake Shange. http://sfonline.barnard.edu/worlds-of-ntozake-shange/project-for-colored-girls-breaking-the-shackles-of-role-deprivation-through-prison-theatre

Moller, Lorraine (2013). Project “For Colored Girls:” Breaking the shackles of role deprivation through prison theatre. The Arts in Psychotherapy. 40, 61-70. DOI information: 10.1016/j.aip.2012.09.007.

Moller, Lorraine (2010). Project Slam: Rehabilitation through theatre at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. International Journal of the Arts in Society, 5(5), pp.9-30. http://ija.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.85/prod.678.

Moller, Lorraine (2009) Dispelling rape myths through prison theatre. Proceedings of the NYSCA 67th Annual Conference
"Examining Ritual, Technology, and Community in this New Century: A Global Discussion in New York State" October. Honor's Haven Resort, Ellenville NY.23-25, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.nyscaproceedings.org/index.php/proceedings/login?source=%2Findex.php%2Fproceedings%2Farticle%2Fview%2F28%2F45

Moller, Lorraine (2010, February 19). Princess of Thailand visits the prison. The Record Review 15.

Moller, Lorraine (2007). Forward. The Proscenium Cage: Comparative Case Studies in U.S. Prison Theatre Programs. By Laurence Tocci. Youngstown, New York: Cambria Press, 2007.

Moller, Lorraine. (Summer 2005). The best and worst practices of prison theatre? [Review of the book: Theatre in prison: Theory and practice]. Modern Drama, 48 (4), 864-866.

 Moller, Lorraine.  (Winter 2004). 500 angry men: Drama and meta-drama at the “Big House.”  Reflections: A Journal of Writing, Service and Community Literacy, 4 (1), 167-177.

Moller, Lorraine.  (2004). Prison within a prison: A Burkean analysis of the Sing Sing production of “Slam.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 10, (3), 181-198.  Retrieved November 3, 2004 from http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/index10.html#vol10is3

Moller, Lorraine.  (Spring 2003). A day in the life of a prison theatre program. The Drama Review T177, 47(1), 49-73. 

Moller, Lorraine.  (2001). Woman under the influence: The system as the cause. Communication Education, 50, 274-282.   

Moller, Lorraine. (Winter 1999). Play brings John Jay students and Sing Sing inmates together.  In The CUNY State: A report on the theaters of the colleges of the City University of New York. Spring 2000. Speech & Theatre, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2-4.

Moller, Lorraine (October 1992).  Gender and the western genre.  New Dimensions in Communication: Proceedings of the 50th Annual New York State Speech Communication Association Conference, Ellenville, New York.

 

PAPERS PRESENTED

Moller, Lorraine. (2014). A Burkean analysis of the Kamlangjai Project for female inmates as exemplified by a drama workshop at Ratchaburi Prison.  Paper presented at the John Jay College International Conference: The Rule of Law in an Era of Change, Athens, Greece June 11-14.

Moller, Lorraine (2014). Re-humanizing incarcerated populations through the arts. Paper presented for the Mobile Shakespeare Unit, The Public Theatre, New York, New York June 4.

Moller, Lorraine (2013).  Rehearsing change: Breaking the shackles of incarceration through theater. Presented at Prison on the Move: Putting the Bangkok Rules into Practice Conference, Ratchaburi, Thailand (A media covered event presided over by HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha and attended by 200 Corrections Officials and over 800 inmates.)  The first known conference of its kind to be presented at a Correctional Facility) August 7.

Moller, Lorraine (2013). Theatre in prison: Challenges & benefits.  Paper presented at the We Shall Find Our Way Home Symposium. Office of the Affairs under the Royal Initiatives of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha, Ministry of Justice. Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok June 10-14.

Moller, Lorraine. (2013). Rehearsing for change. Paper presented at the Be the Evidence Project– Art for Change Symposium. Fordham University School of Social Sciences, April 20, 2013, New York.

Moller (2014) Re-visioning options: The use of theatre in a Thai women’s prison. Presented at the Performance and Justice Symposium, 2014: Interventions at the Intersection of Art, Pedagogy and Politics Symposium. John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Moller, Lorraine (2013) Theatre at Sing Sing Correctional Facility: Performance of Marine Corp values in “A Few Good Men.” Paper presented at the Performance and Justice Symposium: Representing Dangerous Truths,  John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (2009). Dispelling rape myth through prison theatre. Paper presented at the 67th New York State Communication Association Conference, Ellenville, New York.        

Moller, Lorraine. (2009). Three Works of P. J. Gibson: “Red,” “Jessy,” and “Anna Louise Waterman.” Paper presented at the Theatre in New York Program, St. Olaf College.

Moller, Lorraine (2008). Collaboration and directing: Adapting “Metamorphoses” with incarcerated women.  Paper presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

Moller, Lorraine. (2003). Project Slam: An empirical study on the impact of a rap-drama on the social and institutional behavior of male inmates. Paper presented at the 95th Annual Eastern Communication Conference, Boston, Massachusetts.                 

Moller, Lorraine.  (2003). Exploring problem-solving through sociodrama. A workshop presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival at the University of Maryland.

Moller, Lorraine. (2002). Theatre at the “Big House.”  Paper presented with a panel of playwrights at John Jay College to visiting theatre students from St. Olaf’s College, New York, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (2002). Prison within a prison: Performance poetry and the Sing Sing adaptation of  Slam. Paper presented at the 93rd Annual Eastern Communication Conference, New York, New York.

Moller, Lorraine.  (2001). Woman under the influence: The system as cause. Paper presented at the 92nd Annual Eastern Communication Conference, Portland, Maine.

Moller, Lorraine.  (2001). Sociodrama: Expanding interpersonal perspectives through role training. A workshop presented at the 92nd Annual Eastern Communication Conference, Portland, Maine.

Moller, Lorrraine. (2000). Insurgent research on communications and the incarcerated male: Rationale, findings and implications. Paper presented at the 91st Annual Eastern Communication Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Moller, Lorraine. (1999). Sing Sing theater program benefits: Mutual responsibility, delayed gratification and empathy. Paper presented at Prison Communities International Conference Can Anything Good Come Out of Prison? Yorktown, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (1999). Marital infidelity in Hollywood film, 1949-1999. Paper presented at the Annual New York State Communication Association Conference, Monticello, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (1997). Theater arts as rehabilitation: The Sing Sing project through the lens of re-visioning and social learning. Paper presented at the 55th Annual NYSCA Conference, Monticello, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (1994). The filmic treatment of the father. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual NYSSCA Conference, Albany, New York.

Moller, Lorraine. (1992). Gender and the Western genre. Paper presented at the 50th Annual NYSSCA Conference, Albany, New York.

Coordinated and Chaired Interpretation and Performance Studies Interest Group, Eastern Communication Association Conferences, 2002, 2004.

 

Honors and Awards
  • OAR Faculty Scholarly Excellence Award, 2015
  • ACTF Community Outreach award from ACTF
  • Sing Sing Volunteer of the Year, 2006
Research Summary

 

CREATIVE WORK: Theatre & Film Production

Moller, Lorraine (2016). (Producer/Director). Smith, Anna Deavere. Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. (1993). (Black Box Theatre, John Jay College of Criminal Justice).

Moller, Lorraine (2015). (Director of the Sing Sing production within the film of “A Few Good Men”) Dramatic Escape. [Video Documentary]. Directed by Nick Quested, Goldcrest Films, New York, New York.

Moller, Lorraine (2014). (Producer). Wesandon: The lost track to Nirvana. Presented by Moradakmai Community Theatre of Thailand.  Unpublished play. (Black Box Theatre, John Jay College of Criminal Justice).

Moller, Lorraine (2013). (Producer/Director). Corthron, K. (1992) Breath, boom. Dramatist Play Service.

(Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (2012). (Director). Sorkin, A.  (1990). A few good men. New York: Samuel French, Inc. (Performed at Sing Sing Correctional Facility).

Moller, Lorraine. (2011). (Producer/ Director). Guirgis, S. (1992) Den of thieves. New York: Dramatist Play Service. (Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (2010) (Producer/Director). Ullah, S. (2007). The hijabi monologues. Unpublished play. (Performed at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Thirteenth Street Repertory Theatre, NYC).

Moller, Lorraine. (2010). (Director, Producer, Writer). The visit. [Video Documentary].Available from Lori Moller Productions, 178 Upper Shad Rd., Pound Ridge, NY 10576.  (Broadcast on CUNY TV).

Moller, Lorraine.  (2008). (Producer/Director). Shange, N. (1971).  For colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf.. New York: Samuel French, Inc. (Performed at Bayview Correctional Facility).

Moller, Lorraine. (2008). (Producer/Director). Sorkin, A. (1990).  A few good men. New York: Samuel French, Inc. (Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (2008). (Director, Producer, Writer). Family Ties. [Video Documentary]. New York: Osborne Association, 175 Remsen Street, Suite 800, Brooklyn, NY 11201. 

 Moller, Lorraine. (2006). (Acting Coach). Buell, B. (2005). From Sing Sing to Broadway. Unpublished Play.  Performed at Playwrights Horizon, New York. 

Moller, Lorraine. (Producer/Director). (2004). Deitz, S. (1993).  Dracula. New York: Dramatists Play Service. (Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (2003). (Producer/Director). Miller, A. (1952). The crucible. New York: Penguin Plays. Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York.).

Moller, Lorraine. (2002). (Artistic Director). Anderson, R., Cruz, G., Hall, P., Reed, T. & Whitfield, J. (2000).  Voices from within. Unpublished play. (Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (2007). (Producer/Director). Zimmerman, M. (2002). Metamorphoses.  Evanston: Northwestern University Press.. (Produced two productions:  at the Lynch, NY, and at Bayview Correctional Facility using incarcerated women).

Moller, Lorraine. (Producer/Director). (2001). Parks, S., (2000). In the blood.  New York: Dramatists Play Service. Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. & Anderson, R. (2001). (Playwright and Director) Stratton, R. & Wozencraft, K..  (1998). Slam.  New York: Grove Press. (Performed at Sing Sing Correctional Facility).

Moller, Lorraine. (2000). (Producer/Director). Sutton, J. Voir dire. (1993). New York: Dramatists Play Service. (Performed at Gerald W. Lynch Theater, New York).

Moller, Lorraine. (1999). (Director). Wasserman, D. (1973). One flew over the cuckoo’s nest. New York: Samuel French. (Performed at Sing Sing Correctional Facility).

Additional:  Moller, L. (2005-2006).  (Executive Producer). Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN). 18 student video shorts and four documentary projects on the following topics:  domestic violence, police use of force, visitation challenges for families of the incarcerated and the CUNY Conflict Resolution Bookmark Program. (Broadcast on cable television, MNN, New York.)