Dana Smith

This is Dana's sixth year at Truman State University. Dana earned her BA in 1981at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and worked as a professional actor, journalist, writer, and radio announcer prior to returning to school in 1989. She received her MA in 1991 from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and her Ph.D. in 1996 from the University of Oregon, Eugene.

Dana also studied at the Moscow Art Theatre School and completed the Summer 2000 Intensive Viewpoints and Suzuki training session with the SITI Company (Saratoga International Theatre Institute) under the direction of Anne Bogart. Dana is also a certified an NLP Practitioner (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).

Dana enjoys devising original works in collaboration with students and adapting prose works and historical records for the stage. She is currently directing a student-written play, Virtually Somebody, by senior Joe Klocek. In the spring of 2004, she directed The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

In addition to introductory courses, Dana teaches Acting III, Play Direction, Voice & Movement, and the Theatre History & Literature courses (in rotation).