Adrianna DiRisio holds a B.A. in Theater from Buffalo State College, an M.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University at Buffalo, and is currently working towards her Ph.D. from UB.

She is a stage manager, theatre technician, educator, children’s entertainer and extravagant face painter, as well as being a trained dancer and singer. Originally from Virginia, she arrived in Buffalo by way of China, having spent her life moving between the U.S. and China. Her Master’s Thesis, titled “Culture On Stage: Contemporary Performances of the Chinese Model Ballets, 2000-2016,” dealt with the resurgence in popularity of The White Haired Girl, and The Red Detachment of Women; the two Chinese Model Ballets created during the Cultural Revolution.