Charney, Mark

Dr. Mark Charney, Professor Emeritus of Performing Arts, retired in 2012. Mark Charney served as Director of Theatre for the Department of Performing Arts at Clemson University for many years before retiring as a Professor Emeritus and accepting the role of Director of the School of Theatre and Dance at Texas Tech University. A past Chair for Region IV, a past member of the National Selection Team, and presently National Coordinator of Institute for Theatre Journalism and Advocacy/Dramaturgy for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Mark currently serves as Associate Director of the National Critics Institute for the O’Neill Theatre Center.

A playwright, a critic, and a professor, not necessarily in that order, Mark is the founder of WildWind Performance Lab and the Marfa Intensives, both training grounds for theatre artists, one holistically and the other, devised work. For three years, he was Co-Artistic Director of WordBRIDGE Playwrights Lab, and he presently serves as Artistic Director of the International Schools of Southeast Asia, often taking him to places like Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. He is an honorary member of the Actors Hall of Fame, based on his experience in criticism and dramaturgy, and is currently finishing a play, Garage Door, that will be performed at the Prague International Fringe Festival in June.

Published Writing: Lead writer for the new website/newsletter for McHenry County Arts. His production of SHOOTING BLANKS was performed in the Prague International Festival two years ago, and my new play GARAGE DOOR will be performed there  June 2018. His version of ANTIGONE, DANGLING MODIFIERS, was performed in the New Works Festival in Los Angeles last year. Dr. Charney’s production of INCLINE/DECLINE was performed in Austin, Texas.

Awards: Inducted into the Actors Hall of Fame for his work with Dramaturgy and Criticism with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival; National Medallion of Honor for the Arts, given to the O’Neill Theatre Center for his work with the National Critics Institute: his work as Chair took our Department of Theatre and Dance to the School of Theatre and Dance based on his work with experiential education. Won the Prestigious William Kerns Award in West Texas for Achievements in the Performing Arts

Teaching/Advising: Nominated this year for the President’s Teaching Award at Texas Tech; created WIldWind Performance Lab, a month long training program with 18 guests every June: was Artistic and now Executive Director. Created the Marfa Intensives, a two week devised theatre training program. Both have FB Pages

Exhibitions: Artistic Director of the International Association of the Schools of Southeast Asia; invited to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta as a critic, playwright, and interdisciplinary team leader; He was the liaison in Hong Kong between the Academy of Performing Arts and my work as Director of the School of Theatre and Dance

Volunteering: Created a required semester long community activism class: Theatre and Dance in the Community, taken by every student in the Texas Tech program: BA, MA, MFA, PHD, BFA.