David Wohl

David Wohl retired in 2017 after serving seven years as Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and Professor of Theatre at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. He holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from Kent State University, the M.A. in Dramatic Arts from the University of Connecticut and the B.A. in Psychology from Clark University.

Prior to his position at Winthrop, Dr. Wohl served as Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Communications and Media Studies at West Virginia State University, a historically black university located in Institute, WV. He was the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Charleston Stage Company in Charleston, WV and held the position of General Manager of the Porthouse Repertory Theatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Dr. Wohl's first practical arts management experience was gained as a staff member for the American Theatre Association (ATA) in Washington D.C. From 1975-1976, he served as coordinator of ATA's placement service and helped plan and staff two national conventions. He has published articles and reviews in such publications as Theatre Journal, Southern Theatre, and Journal of the Association for Communication Administration. He has directed and/or acted in over 100 theatre productions, including Jane Eyre, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter's Tale, True West, On Golden Pond, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet, A Raisin in the Sun, Proof, Art, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, To Be Young Gifted, and Black, Sweeney Todd, As You Like It, Arcadia, How I Learned to Drive, Becky's New Car, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Rocky Horror Show.

Wohl served as President and Treasurer of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) from 1994-1997 and chaired the SETC Finance Committee for fifteen years. He served on SETC's Executive Committee and Board of Directors as Vice President of Finance for over a decade. He was the recipient of SETC's Suzanne Davis award for “Outstanding Service to Southern Theatre” in 2001. He was co-producer of the films, Chillers, Invasion of the Space Preachers (both distributed by Troma, Inc.), and Paradise Park and received the “Mayors Award” for Individual Artist of the Year from the City of Charleston, WV in 1999. In 2006, he received the “Lifetime Achievement” arts award from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin. He was the recipient of Winthrop University's Medal of Honor in the Arts in 2017.

Between 1976 and 2010, Dr. Wohl was one of the leaders in West Virginia's arts community. He served on the West Virginia Arts Commission's Peer Assistance Network since its inception in 1990 and has conducted numerous workshops on grant writing, strategic planning, board development, and marketing for over thirty non-profit organizations throughout the southeast. He served seven years as President of Arts Advocacy of West Virginia and for three years coordinated "Arts Day" at the WV Legislature and led the West Virginia arts lobbying effort as part of Americans for the Arts national arts day. He was instrumental in persuading key members of the WV legislature to create the Cultural Resources and Capitol Improvement grand fund, which has given over $15 million to arts organizations throughout West Virginia.

He has served as a review panelist for several granting organizations, including the West Virginia Arts Commission, the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Charlotte Arts and Science Council, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (PENNPAT), and the Ohio Valley Regional Arts Commission. While at Winthrop, he served on both the Coordinating and Steering Committees for South Carolina's Arts in Basic Curriculum (ABC) program.

Dr. Wohl has served on numerous boards of directors, including the Kanawha Players, the West Virginia Theatre Conference, and the Paradise Film Institute. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Festiv-ALL Charleston, an annual 10-day celebration of the arts in West Virginia's capitol city. He also coordinated and programmed all the theatre activities for the festival. He served on the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of York County and was recently appointed Vice-Chair of the Arts and Cultural Council of the town of Kiawah Island.

In the field of education, Dr. Wohl has served on the Steering Committee for the West Virginia Department of Education K-12 Arts Standards Task Force and help draft the theatre standards for state elementary and secondary schools. From 1992 to 2006, he coordinated the West Virginia Great Teachers Seminar for the West Virginia Higher Education Commission. As a Dean at WVSU, he oversaw the acquisition of the downtown Charleston Capitol Theatre, helped initiate the first-ever filmmaking program in West Virginia, and designed and implemented the MA Degree in Media Studies. Dr. Wohl worked for two years as a weekend television news reporter for CBS affiliate WOWK in Charleston, WV, one year as WV State University's Public Information Officer and has been a guest speaker at schools and universities in Uganda, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, and Aruba. He currently serves as an adjunct Professor for the College of Charleston's arts management program and as consultant for the Southeastern Theatre Conference.