Jose Nateras is a PhD candidate in Theater and Performance Studies at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Originally from Chicago, Jose is an experienced actor, writer, filmmaker, and educator. His work employs a transmedia, interdisciplinary approach to performance, particularly regarding the work of queer, Latinx, and BIPOC artists. Jose has his BA in Theatre from Loyola University Chicago, where he also studied International Film & Media Studies, and his MFA in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC).
Recent achievements include induction into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society and winning the 2026 Graduate Student Essay Prize for the Horror Studies Interest Group of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
His research concerns the performance of horror in relation to marginalized identities and his dissertation research explores the role the vampire plays with regard to Mexican-American subjectivity.
Research and Creative Interests
Horror Studies, Monster Theory, Queer of Color Critique, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, Performance Theory, Transmedia Studies, Vampire Studies, Gender Studies
Selected Work and Awards
Selected Publications:
Nateras, Jose (2026). “Review of ‘Dracula,’ by Bram Stoker.” Comparative Drama 60, no. 3: 323-325. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cdr.2026.a1001793.
Nateras, Jose, writer (2024). “Departing Seniors.” Directed by Clare Cooney, Choppe Productions & Darky Sky Films/Queensbury Pictures.
Nateras, Jose (2019). “Testament: A Novel.” Ninestar Press.
Selected Awards:
Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Horror Studies Scholarly Interest Group Award for Best Graduate Student Essay (2026)
UCLA Fine Arts Trust Award (2026)
Joel Siegel Fellowship (2026)
Education
PhD, Theater and Performance studies, UCLA (in progress)
MFA, Writing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BA, Theater, Loyola University Chicago