Kahn, David M

Kahn, David M

RETIRED
Professor Emeritus 
TV, Radio, Film & Theatre

Email

Preferred: david.kahn@sjsu.edu

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Univ Of Cal-Berkeley, 1984

Bio

David Kahn is Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator of TV, Radio, Film and Theatre. He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and taught there and at University of the Pacific before joining the SJSU Theatre Arts faculty in 1985. As a theatre professional he was founding Artistic Director of Sierra Repertory Theatre, Production Manager of the Eureka Theatre Co., Managing Director of the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Literary Manager of San Jose Rep, consulting director for City Lights Theatre Company of San Jose, and a guest artist with CSU SummerArts, Southern Rep of New Orleans in addition to numerous jobs as a freelance director and dramaturg. He teaches scriptwriting, dramatic literature and theatre history, directing, and graduate seminars at SJSU in addition to his university production work as a director, writer and producer. Kahn has participated in panels and workshops with Kennedy Center-American College Theatre Festival, Association of Theatres in Higher Education, and California Educational Theatre Association. For many years he served a professional theatres site visitor for the California Arts Council. He is author of Bibliography of Multicultural Theatre Resources (CETA, 1993), numerous articles on new play development, dramaturgy, and computer-based theatre resources, and ScriptWork: A Director's Approach to New Play Development (SIU Press, 1995). At SJSU, Dr. Kahn has directed many world-premiere productions, including his own adaptation War of the Worlds v. 2.0. In 2001, Kahn received the Kennedy Center-American College Theatre Festival "Excellence in Education" Award. In 2003 he was named as one of seven SJSU Teacher-Scholars. He currently serves as a city-appointed commissioner for the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY). For the past ten years he's served as coordinator of the TRFT Graduate program. His students have won recent national awards in screenwriting and playwriting, have received prestigious graduate school admissions, publication of research, developed important teaching careers, assumed artistic leadership and other notable accomplishments.

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