Dr. William Doan

Biography

William J. Doan holds a BA from Gannon University, an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University. He has published articles on plays and theatre, particularly focusing on the works of George Bernard Shaw. Doan co-authored important works such as 'Prophets, Performance Power' and 'Twice Used Songs: Performance Criticism of Songs in Ancient Israel'. He has showcased his solo performances at national venues like the DePauw Undergraduate Ethics Symposium and the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. His play 'Drifting' received a workshop at Dixon Place Theatre in New York City in March 2014, and he has been active in developing new works, including the piece 'Brief Anatomy of Anxiety'. Doan joined Penn State in 2008 and served as Associate Dean of Administration, Research, and Graduate Studies for the College of Arts and Architecture before committing to the School of Theatre full time in 2013. He served as President of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education from 2011 to 2013 and was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre in April 2018. Doan's graphic-based performance works have been published in 'Annals of Internal Medicine/Graphic Medicine'.

Research Interests