Richard Scharine is a University of Utah Professor Emeritus in Theatre, where on occasion he served as Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, and head of the B.A. Program. Among his honors are the University of Utah Professorship, University of Utah Diversity Award, College of Fine Arts Excellence Award, a Senior Fulbright Lectureship at the University of Gdansk in Poland, and Outstanding Educator of America.
He has published two books, chapters in five others, and a score of articles on British and American political theatre and Black American theatre, as well as directing approximately 100 plays, most recently the Intermountain premiere of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for People Productions, of which he was a co-founder and artistic director. Dr. Scharine has acted locally for Plan-B, the Grand Theatre, Salt Lake Shakespeare, as well as in seven foreign countries, including the title role in Oedipus at Colonus in the Classical Theatre Festival’s 2004 tour of Greece.