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David Beach

Director, Undergraduate Curriculum/Professor, Special Purpose

Writing, Lang and Lit, School of

Address:

Hemphill 4105
PO Box 6935

Headshot of David Beach

I am the Director of Undergraduate Curriculum and a Professor of English and Theatre at Radford University, where I've been a part of the community for nearly a decade. I also serve as Artistic Director of the Virginia Blue Ridge Theatre and write plays that explore identity, justice and connection. In my administrative role, I help shape Radford's undergraduate experience--especially general education--by working with faculty to design meaningful, student-centered learning pathways. I'm passionate about mentoring students and believe in the power of storytelling, both on stage and in the classroom, to spark insight, empathy and change.

Relevant Courses

Critical Reading and Writing in the Digital Age (ENGL 112): This foundational course enhances students' analytical reading and advanced academic writing skills, focusing on critical thinking and effective communication in digital contexts.

Playwriting (ENGL 311): A workshop-based creative writing course that focuses on the structure of the dramatic play, character development, plot, theme, set design and stage direction.

Advanced Playwriting (ENGL 411): An advanced workshop course in which students further develop skills in the writing and analysis of stage plays, culminating in a public reading of students' plays and submission preparation to literary managers. Designed for students with prior experience in playwriting and dramaturgy.

The Author in Context (ENGL 470): This course examines the full range of a single writer's work within the many contexts that shaped it and the various critical perspectives that enliven study of that author. Recent authors that we've explored include Sam Shepard, Stephen Sondheim and August Wilson.

Introduction to Literary Scholarship (ENGL 600): This graduate-level course introduces students to bibliographic methodology and contemporary approaches to literary criticism, emphasizing the theoretical frameworks that underpin literary analysis.

Creative Writing (ENGL 611): This graduate-level playwriting course takes a holistic, collaborative approach to the craft. Students develop original plays through workshops and peer feedback, culminating in an open reading of their work.

Service Roles

Radford University Undergraduate Curriculum Director: I work closely with faculty and university leadership to design and implement academic programs, particularly in general education, to ensure students have meaningful and well-structured pathways through their undergraduate studies.

Second-Year Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs) Mentor: Within the Department of English, I mentor new graduate instructors in teaching, course design and professional development, supporting them as they begin their academic careers and as they guide their own students.

Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities Instructor: Each summer, I teach high school students from across Virginia in this residential program, introducing them to college-level thinking and creative expression in theatre and writing.

Virginia Blue Ridge Theatre Artistic Director: Through this community-based theatre, I provide opportunities for students and local artists to collaborate on productions that engage with social issues and showcase new voices in playwriting.

Select Publications & Presentations

  • "Freedom as a Central and Complex Concept in The 1619 Project." Presented at the College English Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. Mar. 2025.
  • "Lost and Found in Pulaski." The Cherry Orchard Theatre, 2025.
  • "Shifting from Menu-Based Gen Ed to Program-Based, and Then Back Again(?)." Presented at the Association of General and Liberal Studies, Portland, OR. Oct. 2024.
  • "Canceled Isn't Wasted: How to Process a COVID Closing of Your Show." Co-presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (Region IV), virtual. Feb. 2022.
  • "Not Yet Over the Rainbow: The Inheritance and Angels in America in Conversation." Presented at the Comparative Drama Conference, Orlando, FL. Oct. 2021.

Education Experience

  • Ph.D. in Education / Instructional Technology and Composition & Rhetoric, George Mason University
  • M.F.A. in Playwriting / Directing & Dramaturgy, Hollins University
  • M.A. in English / Linguistics, George Mason University
  • B.A. in English / Language & Literature, Marymount University

Other Interests

When I'm not writing plays about Arctic diplomacy, emotional unraveling or becoming, I'm usually wrangling curriculum spreadsheets like they're dramatic monologues or directing theatre in places with more cows than coffee shops. I have strong opinions about stage directions, comma splices and what counts as a productive committee meeting. Once, I taught business writing in a Czech castle, and I'm still waiting for that to come up naturally in conversation. I believe in big questions, bold choices and the kind of learning that lingers long after the final curtain.

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