Phyllis Wong
Theatre Lecturer
Contact Information
- Office: Bldg. 45, Rm. 203
- Phone: 805-756-0682
- Email: pwong28@calpoly.edu
About Phyllis Wong
Dr. Phyllis Wong is a mother, teacher, storyteller, community builder, and lifelong learner. She teaches theatre for youth, theatre history, and introduction to theatre at Cal Poly. She holds a PhD in Theatre for Youth from Arizona State University and a BA in English–World Literature from UCLA.
Dr. Wong’s work explores storytelling, connection, belonging, and the ways theatre can create space for dialogue and community. She is particularly interested in stories from the margins and in creating theatre that connects young people to the world around them.
She is the co-founder of Staging Change, Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department’s touring theatre company, which brings original productions to K–6 schools throughout San Luis Coastal Unified School District. Developed collaboratively by faculty and students, Staging Change productions are devised, written, rehearsed, and toured by Cal Poly students, giving them the opportunity to create theatre with and for young audiences while building meaningful connections with the local community.
Dr. Wong has received multiple grants and scholarships in support of her teaching and creative work, including the Ernst and Irmgard Moller Dissertation Scholarship and Cal Poly Summer Undergraduate Research Program grants supporting the Staging Change Project. She has presented her work nationally and internationally at conferences including the International Drama and Education Association and the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.
Above all, she is the proud mother of two wonderful children who take center stage in her heart. When she is not on campus, you can find her hiking, reading a good book, making up silly songs with her kids, or having a deep conversation with a friend.