Dr. Scott Magelssen Named Executive Director Of The University Of Washington School Of Drama

The University of Washington School of Drama has announced Dr. Scott Magelssen as its new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Magelssen succeeds Professor Geoff Korf, who led the School from July 2020 to June 2025. Professor Korf will now serve as the School's Producing Associate Director, overseeing the production season and facilities.

Dr. Magelssen has been a dedicated and valued member of the School of Drama faculty since 2013. During his tenure, he has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in Theatre History and Performance Studies, covering topics such as nineteenth-century popular performance, museum theatre, emerging discourses in theatre and performance theory, dark tourism, and the intersections of religion, theatre, and anti-theatricalism.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Dr. Magelssen served as Head of the Theatre History and Performance Studies area and as Undergraduate Coordinator. In 2025, he was honored with the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award from the University of Washington Office of Undergraduate Research. He also served as the Donald E. Petersen Endowed Professor from 2021 to 2024.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Magelssen is the author of several influential books, including:

• Performing Flight: From the Barnstormers to Space Tourism (University of Michigan Press, 2020)
• Simming: Participatory Performance and the Making of Meaning (University of Michigan Press, 2013)
• Living History Museums: Undoing History Through Performance (Scarecrow Press, 2007)

His editorial work includes numerous co-edited collections, such as:

• Enveloping Worlds: Toward a Discourse of Immersive Performance with E. B. Hunter (Michigan, 2025)
• Theatre Historiography: Critical Interventions with Henry Bial (Michigan, 2010)
• Enacting History with Rhona Justice-Malloy (Alabama, 2011)
• Querying Difference in Theatre History with Ann Haugo (Cambridge Scholars, 2007)

His current book project, Performing Prehistory, investigates how museums and popular culture attractions since the nineteenth century have looked to theatre and performance practices to stage “dinosaur encounters” for spectators, from early dinosaur parks and immersive exhibits at museums and world's fairs to contemporary dance and Broadway theatre.

Dr. Magelssen previously held faculty positions at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and Augustana College in Illinois. He earned both his MA and PhD in Theatre History, Theory, and Dramatic Criticism from the University of Minnesota.

In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Magelssen has held leadership roles in major academic organizations. He is a past president of the Mid-America Theatre Conference, former secretary of the American Society for Theatre Research, past editor of the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, and former editor of the Theater in the Americas book series with Southern Illinois University Press.

Looking ahead, Dr. Magelssen is excited to partner closely with the School of Drama faculty and staff in meeting challenges ahead, and to continue to maintain the School's excellence in teaching, research, and creative expression in upholding its mission to develop innovative and courageous artists and scholars poised to be the creative leaders of tomorrow. He is dedicated to the School's commitments toward fostering an environment of belonging and toward affirming the critical role of the arts in both community and global contexts.

About the UW School of Drama

The University of Washington School of Drama develops innovative and courageous artists and scholars poised to be the creative leaders of tomorrow. Degrees offered include a BA, an MFA, and a Ph.D. The School of Drama's public season features fully produced shows and Lab projects in three different venues on the Seattle campus. These productions provide students with opportunities for practice, experimentation, and exploration — often alongside prominent professional artists. We believe in the power of theatrical storytelling to elevate individual and collective voices, promote understanding, and nurture compassion.

For more information, visit drama.uw.edu.