Theatre history, literature, performance, new-play development

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Bob Nelson (Professor of Theatre) taught in Theatre and Media Arts at BYU for 28 years, serving as chair 1998-2004. August 2005, he retired from BYU and “came home” to his alma mater to chair the U of U Department of Theatre through January 2009. He loves being back in the classroom full-time now. He particularly enjoys theatre history, dramatic literature, acting, directing, Shakespeare, and new-play development.

Recent directing credits include The Diary of Anne Frank and W;t (U of U); The First Water Project (the opening play in The Water Project at the Salt Lake Acting Company); Handing Down the Names by Steven Dietz, Nathan the Wise by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, and The School for Wives by Molière (BYU).

Recent stage acting credits include the title role in Macbeth and Prospero in The Tempest (BYU-Hawaii); Judge Danforth in The Crucible (BYU Provo); and Sorin in The Seagull (Rose Wagner).

Recent film credits include Isaac Hale in Emma Smith: My Story and Joseph Smith (both directed by Gary Cook); the Professor in Pride and Prejudice (directed by Andrew Black); Judge Richard Young in Hancock County (directed by Merrill Demick), and Parker in Brigham City (directed by Richard Dutcher).

Bob has given dozens of presentations at professional conferences, including ASTR (American Society for Theatre Research), ATA (American Theatre Association), ATHE (Association for Theatre in Higher Education), Comparative Drama Conference, KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Association), RMTA (Rocky Mountain Theatre Association), UTA (Utah Theatre Association), etc. He has published on the teaching of Shakespeare in the Shakespeare Quarterly (vol. 35, no. 5), and on the 19 stage plays of Samuel Beckett in “Standing in Their Shifts Itself. . . ”: Irish Drama from Farquhar to Friel (European Library of Irish Studies, vol. 1).