Gustavo Prado Sampaio (he/him) is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. He holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College, an MA in Arts Management and Graduate Certificate in Media Management from The New School, and a BA in Liberal Arts from The Evergreen State College.

As a theater-maker, Gustavo is primarily interested in devised work and clowning. He has performed in and produced plays at several NYC venues, including HERE Arts Center, The Tank, and United Solo Festival.

Gustavo's research at UCSB is primarily concerned with the work of Augusto Boal, creator of Theater of the Oppressed. Gustavo researches how Latinx and queer people have used Boalian techniques to rehearse modes of resistance and perform futures of belonging. More broadly, he is interested in socially-engaged theater in Latin America during periods of authoritarian rule. 

As part of his arts management background, Gustavo has developed an interest in cultural policy, particularly in community-centered alternatives to the traditional arts non-profit model.