about

Dr. Michael DeWhatley is a postdoctoral research fellow at Southern Methodist University DataArts, a national leader in arts research dedicated to building collectively strong and equitable arts communities. Michael is also a dramaturg, theatre director, educator, consultant and researcher focused on relationships between arts workers, boards, and the role of community and locality in U.S. nonprofit theatre companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Performance as Public Practice and a graduate portfolio certificate in Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas at Austin.

Michael served for six years as the associate production manager at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and has an extensive career in arts administration, including work at Zilker Botanical Garden, Kentucky Shakespeare, Berkshire Theatre Group, Lexington Children's Theatre, and the Austin Film Festival. He currently serves on the boards of Glass Half Full Theatre Company and Trinity Street Players in Austin, Texas. As a consultant, Michael has worked with Teatro Vivo in Austin, Texas, and Skywatchers, Bridge Live Arts, and Gravity in the Bay Area. His research and insights have been published in The American Journal of Arts Management, American Theatre, Theatre Topics, Etudes, Howlround Theatre Commons, Theatre Design and Technology, and Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts.