Isaiah Wooden, PhD

Roots of GU experience: Davis Center (on/offstage), TPST classes, The Laboratory for Global Performance & Politics, Black Theater Ensemble, Mask & Bauble, Children’s Theater, Culture and Performance Living & Learning Communities

What did you study and did you pursue graduate school? I graduated with a Government major and theater minor, and I earned a PhD in Theater and Performance studies from Stanford.

What are some professional highlights? I was able to direct the first musical in the Davis Center’s Gonda Theatre, THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS. A residency that I hosted with playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney at the Davis Center has yielded a number of research projects, including a coedited book on McCraney’s work.

How does your time in the Davis Center affect your current values and work? It deeply informs my scholarship, teaching, and theatrical practice.
After graduating, have you worked with other alumni or professors from the Davis Center? I have worked on multiple projects with Maya and Derek over the years, including co-teaching a mini-seminar with Derek called “Encounters in Global Performance.” I’m currently directing Natsu’s adaptation of THE LATHE OF HEAVEN at Brandeis University. I’ve also worked with fellow alumni Obehi Utubor and Jamie Gahlon.