Janice (Jan) Gross (formerly Berkowitz) is Seth Richards Professor in Modern Languages. Her research on contemporary theatre examines the performative nature of depicting postcolonial identities in the French-speaking world. With a focus on Algerian playwrights living in Paris, her publications consider the role of terrorism, hyrbrid identity, gender, exile, and Islam. Based on interviews with Slimane Benaïssa, Mohamed Kacimi, Aziz Chouaki, and Fatima Gallaire, her research explores intersections between France and Algeria, including with Albert Camus the neglected Algerian. Recent articles have appeared in Theatre Journal, Modern Drama, and French Review, including "Making Reel to Real Contact" on the pedagogy of film in advanced culture courses. Her translation with Daniel Gross of Slimane Benaïssa's novel, The Last Night of a Damned Soul published by Grove Press (2004) made available one of the first novels about 9/11 written by a Muslim author. Her seminar "May 68: A Culture of Revolt and Beyond" featured Alain Geismar, and her Tutorial "Americans in Paris: Through the Looking Glass" explores the complex character of the Franco-American encounter.
French and Arabic
Jan Gross
Seth Richards Professor in Modern Languages, Senior Faculty Status
Education / Degrees:
B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
M.A. from Ohio State University in French Language and Literature
Courses Taught:
Contemporary Francophone Cultures
Contemporary Francophone Theatre
From Decolonization to la France plurielle
From Crisis to Creation: Trauma in Literature
Primary Academic Interest:
Contemporary Theatre and Cultures of the French-speaking world 
