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Michael DeWhatley

My name is Michael DeWhatley, and I use he/him pronouns. I am currently a graduate student in Performance as Public Practice at The University of Texas at Austin and the President of the Theatre Advisory Council for Trinity Street Players. A native of Asheville, N.C., I have a B.A. in Theatre with departmental honors from Wake Forest University. My research is focused on the role of community and locality on American regional theatres, as well as the governance of those theatres and related arts organizations. I am particularly interested in large cast and large scale community oriented performances in American regional theatres and their larger impacts on institutional health and focus. Before coming to Austin, I spent six years as the associate production manager at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and I've had a variety of experiences in production and artistic management at Kentucky Shakespeare, Berkshire Theatre Group, Lexington Children's Theatre and the Austin Film Festival. I previously served on the board of Theatre[502], and CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center in Louisville, KY. I am a contributor to HowlRound Theatre Commons, www.theatreartlife.com, and Theatre Design & Technology. I am also the creator, producer and writer of a podcast called One Thousand Words: examining the world art has made.

A woman sitting with her hands clasped in front of her at a table.
Amplifiers and Takers: Approaches to Interview-Based Playmaking
Essay

Amplifiers and Takers: Approaches to Interview-Based Playmaking

6 January 2022

Michael Dewhatley sits down with playwright and director KJ Sanchez to talk about her experiences making plays based on real events. They discuss process, responsibility, perspective, and how to create without an agenda.

Ashley Malafronte in a black shirt and kakis painting on a stone wall.
Internships are Dead. Long Live Internships.
Essay

Internships are Dead. Long Live Internships.

22 July 2021

Ashley Malafronte and Michael DeWhatley ask: How can future-minded theatres revolutionize their internship programs to create a more diverse, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial set of initiatives?

Building Better Theatres
Essay

Building Better Theatres

Success and Debriefs in America

17 October 2017

Michael DeWhatley talks to several theatres, including Trinity Rep and the Guthrie, about how they define success and the benefits of a feedback process for talking about a show after the production is complete with artists and audience.

More Than Booth
Essay

More Than Booth

29 January 2017

Michael Whatley makes the case why every theatre should have an active shooter policy.

Revolution in Theatre, Evolution in Staff
Essay

Revolution in Theatre, Evolution in Staff

14 October 2016

Michael Whatley writes about the importance of early-career staff members at large theatrical institutions.