DEGREES: Ph. D. (Indiana Univ.) 1973; Dissertation: "Brecht's Adaptation of J.M.R. Lenz's Hofmeister."
Doctoral Major: German Literature. Minors: Germanic Linguistics, Comparative Literature.

MA. (Brit. Col.) with Master's Thesis; Major: German Lit; Minor: French Literature.

BA. (Brit. Col.) with 1st Class Honours in French and German; Honors Essay.

TEACHING AREAS:
German Literature in English; Ibsen's drama; Scandinavian narrative.
German Literature & Civilization in German. German Language, Freshman to Senior levels.

LANGUAGES: Fluent in English, German, French; speak and understand basic Estonian and a little Swedish.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Development of German-language theatre in Germany and the Baltic.
Development of German-language theatre in Vancouver and Canada.
Bertolt Brecht's Literary Adaptations.
German literary history.
Baltic Studies.
Poetry of Jaan Kaplinski.
German-Estonian Literary Relations.

HONORS AND APPOINTMENTS:
Recent grants:
2001 & 1999 SFU Publications Grant ($3,000, $5,000).
1994-97, SSHRCC ($15,000).
1997-2000, SSHRCC ($23,000).
1998, President's Research Grant ($6,076).
SSHRCC small grants for conference travel annually.
German scholarships & one Swedish scholarship 1985, 1979, 1962.
Distinguished teaching awards: University of Kansas (1973); Oregon State University (1966).
External examiner for three Canadian and US institutions.
Appointed at 8 universities in US and Canada.
European Languages & Literature, Department Chair, University of Hawaii;
Modern Language Department Chair, Laurentian University;
German Division Chair, Simon Fraser University.
Member / Officer of several international, national & regional scholarly associations.

OVERVIEW OF RECENT BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS:
12 articles on German and/or Estonian literature; 2 books authored; 8 books edited; 13 volumes of three journals edited. Most recent scholarly publications include:

1. Laurence Kitching, Die Geschichte des deutschsprachigen Theaters im Ausland - von Afrika bis Wisconsin Ð Beginnings of the German-language Theatre Abroad - From Africa to Wisconsin. Ed. Laurence Kitching. (Schriftenreihe Thalia Germanica Series, vol. 2), Peter Lang Verlag: Frankfurt, 2000, 290 pp., with indexes and 12 plates, ISSN 1433-7592, ISBN: 3-631-36964-6.

2. "Zur Rezeptionsgeschichte des Revaler Deutschen Theaters in den Reval(i)schen Wöchentlichen Nachrichten, 1772-1852" in Die Geschichte des deutschsprachigen Theaters im Ausland: Von Afrika bis Wisconsin - Anfaenge und Entwicklungen,(Schriftenreihe Thalia GermanicaSeries, Vol. 2), Peter Lang Verlag: Frankfurt, 2000. ISSN 1433-7592, ISBN 3-631-36964-6. Pp. 87-96.

3. Laurence Kitching, "A Baltic-German Lessing? Johann Friedrich Recke's Mitau Dramaturgy," Journal of Baltic Studies, January 2000, XXXII/1: 44-59.

4. "German Theatre in a European Context: The Mitau Playbill," LUMEN, Journal of the Society for Eighteenth Century Studies, XVII/1998, pp. 77-90.

5. "Die deutsche Literatur im Nordosten Europas im Überblick," in Proceedings of the International Conference on "Der finnische Meerbusen als Brennpunkt: Wandern und Wirken deutschsprachiger Menschen im europäischen Nordosten," eds. Robert Schweitzer & Waltraud Bastman-Bühner. Helsinki: The German Cultural Institute in Estonia and the Helsinki Aue Foundation, 1998, ISBN: 1237-7422, pp. 219-240.

6. Laurence Kitching, Compiler. Baltic Studies Indexes , Journal of Baltic Studies, Bulletin of Baltic Studies, 1970-1997. (Publications of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, Inc., Vol. 7.) Hackettstown, NJ: AABS, 1998, ISBN: 0-9624906-1-X. Pp.144.

7. Laurence Kitching, Editor. Das deutschsprachige Theater im baltischen Raum, 1630-1918. The German-language Theatre in the Baltic, 1630-1918. (Schriftenreihe Thalia GermanicaSeries, Vol. 1.) Peter Lang Verlag: Frankfurt, 1997. ISSN 1433-7592, ISBN 3-631-31692-5. Pp. 234.

8. Laurence Kitching, Europe's Itinerant Players and the Advent of German-language Theatre in Reval, Estonia - Unpublished Petitions of the Swedish Era, 1630 to 1692. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1996. ISBN 3-631-50025-4. Pp. 222

9. "Die deutsche Wanderbühne in Reval." Maske und Kothurn, Jahrgang 38, Heft 1 (1996), 17-45.

10. "German-language Theatre in Reval, Estonia." German Life and Letters, XLVII/2 (1995) 97-123.

11. "New Land for Research - German-language Theatre in Reval." JBS XXVI/1 (1995) 25-44.

12. Regional Identity under Soviet Rule: The Case of the Baltic States, co-edited with D.A. Loeber and S.A. Vardys. Kiel and Hackettstown, N.J.: Institute for the Study of Law, Politics & Society of Socialist States & AABS, 1990, ISBN 0-9624906-0-1. Pp. xxii, 470.

13. Jaan Kaplinski: I am the Spring in Tartu - and other Poems written in English, with an Introduction by Laurence Kitching. Vancouver: Laurel Press, 1991, ISBN 0-921400-01-2. Pp. xxiv, 76.

ARTICLE ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION:
1. "Die Rezeptionsgeschichte des deutschen Theaters in Mitau - Johann Reckes Zeitschrift Wöchentliche Unterhaltungen." 8 pp. To appear in the series Schriftenreihe Thalia Germanica, Vol. 3, a 330-page Proceedings. In press.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL EDITOR:
2. Journal of Baltic Studies, Editor-in-Chief & Book Review Editor 1986 - 1990. Vols.: 17- 21. Eleven of my twenty issues focussed on special topics. 115 articles edited.

SERIALS EDITOR:
1. Publications of the Canadian Association of Teachers of German. Editor of 4 volumes (1973-1983).
2. Simplicissimus, a Simon Fraser University students' German literary journal. 4 vols. (1983-1986).

NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
DIALOG. The Newsletter of the B.C. Council of Teachers of German; I edited Vols. X-XI (1994-1995) and published various essays here (1992-1995) concerning language teaching issues.

THALIA GERMANICA RUNDBRIEF EDITOR The annual Newsletter (ISSN 1203-2387) of the international society for Research into the History of the German Theatre Abroad, Vols. 1-4.

INVITED PAPERS:
75+ invited conference papers & public lectures in Canada, USA, Germany, Estonia, Finland since 1966.

RECENT PAPERS AND LECTURES - 2001 to 1993:
1. "Finnish and Estonian Sources for Bert Brecht," Fourth International Conference of Thalia Germanica, University of Lund, Sweden, June 13-15, 2001.

2. "The Golden Age of German Theatre in Reval, Estland 1870 - 1905, "17th CONFERENCE OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF BALTIC STUDIES, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, June 17, 2000.

3 - 5. "Selecting Works of German literature for Canadian Students of Intermediate German Language Courses: Some proven materials and methods;" "The German Theatre in Vancouver, Canada: 1959-1994 ÐA history and survey of research. "Brecht's Theater - Instructive Entertainment; " "Das Ensemble The German Theatre - 35 Jahre deutsches Liebhabertheater in Vancouver, Kanada: 1959-1994. " Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia, May - June, 2000. 6. "Gutes und Böses im Menschen - Goethes Ansichten darüber in Faust und in frühen Gedichten," Goethe Gesellschaft Lettlands, Riga, 24. Mai 2000. 7. "Das deutschsprachige Theater in Vancouver, Kanada: 1959-1994," Third International Conference of Thalia Germanica, Tübingen, Germany, June 23-27, 1999.

8. "A Baltic-German Lessing? - Recke's Mitau Dramaturgy," Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, Indiana University, June 19-21,1998.

9. "Die Rezeptionsgeschichte des deutschen Theaters in Mitau - Johann Reckes Zeitschrift Wöchentliche Unterhaltungen."Second International Conference of Thalia Germanica, Blankenburg, Harz, Germany, July 25-28, 1997.

10. "Brechtian Theatre at its best - Highlights of a performance by the National Theatre School of Canada, Montreal," University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, May 19, 1997.

11. "Landmarks: Kotzebue's amateur theatre and 18th century attempts to establish a permanent German civic theatre in Reval, Estland," for the panel: "German Theatre in a European Context," Canadian Society for Eighteenth Century Studies conference, University of Victoria, October 16-20, 1996.

12. "Von der Wanderbühne bis zum stehenden deutschen Theater in Reval/Tallinn, Estland: 1630-1811," the International Association for Germanic Languages and Literatures (IVG), 5th International Conference, University of B.C., August 15-19, 1995.

13. "Zur Rezeptionsgeschichte des Revaler Deutschen Theaters in den Reval(i)schen Wöchentlichen Nachrichten, 1772-1852," Thalia Germanica International Conference, Tallinn, 12-14 June 1995.

14. "Tracing Itinerant German Players in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Tartu Town Council Minutes & a rare old Mitau Theatre Poster," International Conference "Geschichte des deutschsprachigen Theaters im Baltikum II," University of Helsinki, October 6-8, 1994.

15. "New Land for Research: German-language Theater in Reval/Tallinn and Hanß Jacob Wigand's Petition of 1630," International Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, June 7, 1994, University of Illinois, Chicago.

16. "Die deutsche Wanderbühne in Reval in schwedischer Zeit: 1630-1692)," International Conference "Geschichte des deutschsprachigen Theaters im Baltikum I," Estonian Theatre Foundation and Estonian Theatre and Music Museum, Tallinn, 1993.

17. "Brecht's Theater - Instructive Entertainment and Recent Scholarship," Public Lecture for the Department of Aesthetics, Theatre and Comparative Literature, at the University of Helsinki, September 11, 1995.

18. "Die deutsche Literatur im Nordosten Europas im Überblick," International Conference on "The Gulf of Finland as a focus: Migrations and Activities of German-speaking People between the Baltic Countries, Finland & St. Petersburg," September 9, 1995, German Cultural Institute in Estonia, Tallinn.

19. "Im Geiste vereint: Der Himmel küßt die Erde - A multi-media Essay and Display", "Poster-Messe Ausstellung," KONTAKT '95 Conference of the Prairie Council of Teachers of German, May 4-9, 1995, University of Regina.

20. "Choosing appropriate literature for Canadian Students of German Language - Some proven materials and methods," Kontakt '93 - Prairie Council on the Teaching of German Conference, University of Calgary, May 6-9, 1993.

BOOKS IN PROGRESS:
1. "German Theatre Abroad on Five Continents: Twenty-Four Essays," Proceedings of the Blankenburg Conference of Thalia Germanica (Schriftenreihe Thalia Germanica Series, Vol. 3.) Editor: L. Kitching.
2."A History of The German-language Theatre in Vancouver."
3. Reval's German Theatre from 1768 to 1944.
4. "Wuolijoki's "Song of War - Sõja laul " - An Edition with the Estonian Text and German and English Translations and an Estonian Folklore Bibliography in English."

RECENT REFEREEING, EXAMINING AND CONSULTING ACTIVITIES:
1. Various papers for the Proceedings , of the Thalia Germanica series, 2001 -1995.

2. External referee World Literature Today; Journal of Baltic Studies, January 1999.

3. Referee for Special issue of SEMINAR on film and literature, May 1997.

4. External examiner for Doctoral dissertation of Paul M. Malone: "Starring Joseph K.: Four Stage Adaptations of Franz Kafka's Novel The Trial," Departments of Film and Theatre, and Germanic Studies, University of BC, August 1997.

5. External referee for a SSHRCC 1997 Standard Research Grant competition, 1998.

6. Member of the International Vitols Prize Jury - Selected the best articles in each of the 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 volumes of the Journal of Baltic Studies for the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, April/May 1998. A $500 prize is awarded to the scholar with the best article each year.

7. Editorial consultant for selected papers: FUSAC '93- '95, Proceedings (Finno-Ugric Studies Association of Canada), October 1998.

FOUNDER OF RESEARCH SOCIETY:
Thalia Germanica - An international society for research into the history of the German theatre abroad. Home page: http://www.sfu.ca/thalia-germanica/ Founded with scholars from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Russia in 1993. I established its home page, am its current President and Editor of its serial "Schriftenreihe Thalia Germanica Series" and its annual Newsletter, ISSN 1203-2387. The Peter Lang Europäischer Verlag der Wissenschaften is the publisher of the "Schriftenreihe Thalia Germanica Series."

Please see the Thalia Germanica home page Thalia Germanica - Home Page. for more information
about the society's publications and international conferences.