J. D. Newman

J.D. Newman is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Utah Valley University, chair of the UVU Department of Theatrical Arts, and Director of the Theatre for Youth and Education (TYE) Center. He taught and directed theatre at Highland High School in Salt Lake City for eighteen years and served for a year as Artistic Director of the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts. He earned his masters degree from the University of Texas and his Ph.D. from New York University. Dr. Newman is co-editor of the anthology Tell Your Story: The Plays and Playwriting of Sandra Fenichel Asher and recently published Playwriting In Schools Dramatic Navigation with Intellect Books. Newman has published plays with Dramatic Publishing, YouthPLAYS, Eldredge Publishing, and Leicester Bay Theatricals and has also published three novels for young readers. He has performed his original solo play The Man Behind the Curtain about Wizard of Oz author L Frank Baum in ten states as well as off-off-Broadway at the United Solo Festival.