D A V I D  J  G R A Y B I L L​  J R

I am a skilled practitioner in acting, directing, dance, production, stage management, as well as lighting, set, costume, sound and property design, and I am a certified teacher of theatre (NY State). In technical theater, I specialize in lighting and sound design for professional and educational settings. As a performer and director, I am a devout follower of the nine physical and five vocal Viewpoints (adapted from Mary Overlie's work by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau), and Cicely Berry's book, The Voice and the Actor.

 

In 1997, I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Playwrights Horizons Theater School. In 2012, I received my Master's degree in Educational Theatre from NYU's Steinhardt School, and in 2018, I completed a PhD with Integrated Study in Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham (UK) and the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. My PhD thesis is entitled, In the Shadow of Peter Brook: Designing and Redesigning A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Shakespeare Company, 1970 - 2000. This work focuses on the stage designs of modern productions of Dream at the RSC from a practitioner's point of view, examines the historiography of Shakespearean stages, and emphasizes the process these directors and designers underwent to create such iconic productions.

 

My research and teaching interests are focused on building 3D models on the computer, especially of notable stage productions of Shakespeare, as well as on the evolving academic vernacular that critics, scholars, and practitioners use in the field of performance analysis and performance studies. My independent projects focus primarily on the digital recreation of historic stage designs. My general teaching philosophy is to employ and train students in all aspects of production and focused scholarship to promote well-rounded thinkers and holistic theatre professionals.

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Lastly, I am also a U.S. Open and American Swing Dance Champion and have performed and taught workshops all over the world. If you are interested in my performance CV, please reach out!