David Callaghan is a Professor of Theatre and current Department Chair in his 13th year on the faculty at UM. He teaches musical theatre performance and history, directing, and acting for the camera as well as occasional seminars on American culture and film for the UM Honors Program.  David received his M.F.A. degree in Directing from Western Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Theatre and Film from the City University of New York Graduate Center in Manhattan. He grew up in central New Jersey a short train ride from the Big Apple and past teaching experience includes visiting positions teaching audition technique at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC and also Illinois Wesleyan University.

Before coming to Montevallo in 1999, David worked professionally in Philadelphia before residing in NYC for six years where he worked on the casting staff at Manhattan Theatre Club and Meg Simon Casting. David enjoyed opportunities to work on the original Tony Award winning productions of Terrence McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! and August Wilson's SEVEN GUITARS on Broadway. Other projects included working on new plays by playwrights like John Patrick Shanley and A.R Gurney for MTC and Seattle Repertory Theatre; as well as independent films and TV pilots such as "Cosby" on CBS.

David also directed professionally in the Tri-State NYC area including 3 seasons at the Surflight Theatre and off-off-Broadway; with professional credits as an actor at Equity theatres such as the McCarter Theater in NJ and Mt. Gretna Playhouse, PA. While in NYC, David was also fortunate to work as an Assistant Director on the NY and Italian productions of THE RULES OF CIVILITY with Judith Malina's famous avant-garde company The Living Theatre.

That experience led to David subsequently publishing numerous articles on the company's work, including an essay in the March 2008 AMERICAN THEATRE magazine.

David also frequently participates in panel presentations on musical theatre, actor training and directing, most recently at the national ATHE theatre conference in NYC and Chicago in summer 2011.  He has served as an adjudicator for the Region IV American College Theatre Festival and is a member of the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Alabama Conference of Theatre, Birmingham Area Theatre Alliance, Musical Theatre Educators Alliance, Association of Theatre in Higher Education and an Associate Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC). While teaching at UM, he has acted in several regional commercials as well as the pilot for "Life After" on the Halogen cable channel; and also directed musicals for 3 seasons at the Round Barn Theatre in Indiana. David also helped create and performed in an original theatre piece in response to Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans in NOLA during summer 2008. In May 2008, he was awarded a grant to attend the Commercial Theatre Institute's 3 Day Producing Workshop in Manhattan.

At UM, David feels fortunate to have directed a wide variety of plays and musicals including the 60s rock musical HAIR, Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY and SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY, Brian Friel's MOLLY SWEENEY, GODSPELL, CABARET, THE NORMAL HEART and the AL premieres of FAT PIG, A CLASS ACT and SIDE SHOW. David also co-produced and directed the Alabama premiere of Jason Robert Brown's PARADE in collaboration with Magic City Actors Theatre at the Virginia Samford Theatre in fall 2009.  David was the proud recipient of the 2002-2003 College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teacher Award, as well as the UM National Alumni Association's "Outstanding Commitment to Teaching" Award in Fall 2004. In 2007-2008, he was very honored to have been selected as the University's nominee for the Carnegie Foundation CASE Professor of the Year Program.

When not in a theatre, he enjoys traveling, films, keeping up with UM alums and theatre friends around the USA, and going to the beach with his wife Paula and daughter Quinn.

callaghand@montevallo.edu; (205) 665-6206.