David McGraw
Associate Professor and Director of Arts Administration
Department: Performing Arts
Email: dmcgraw@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5622
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Professor McGraw serves as the Director for the Arts Administration interdisciplinary major. He joined ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ's faculty in 2017 having served as the head of the arts entrepreneurship and stage management programs at the University of Iowa. As a member of the Performing Arts faculty, he oversees Front-of-House operations for department productions. His research includes the , the largest study of theatrical project managers in the world for the past twenty years, the longitudinal study of early-career stage managers with the , the with Ronel Jordaan of the University of Cape Town, , and an 18-month study of the impact of COVID-19 on the Performing Arts workforce, co-authored with Meg Friedman. He also served as a Research Fellow for the , co-authoring articles with Wen Guo.
In 2023, Prof. McGraw received the Excellence in Mentoring Award from the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ College of Arts & Sciences.
In 2024, Prof. McGraw co-founded the with the mission to produce original productions of Shakespeare’s plays in all their complexity, to provide transformative, profound experiences for audiences across the Piedmont. This nonprofit provides summer work and career development opportunities to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students.
Links
News & Notes
Education
MA, Arts Administration, Goucher College
MFA, Theatre (Stage Management), Yale/University of Iowa
BA, Classics/Theatre, Summa Cum Laude, Fenwick Scholar, College of the Holy Cross
Employment History
Director, Arts Administration Major, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ, 2017-Present
Executive Director, Piedmont Shakespeare Company, 2024-Present
Associate Professor of Practice, Stage Management (MFA), University of Iowa, 2011-2017
Program Head, Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate, University of Iowa, 2007-2017
Production Stage Manager, Stage Management (MFA), University of Iowa, 2003-2007
Production Manager, School of Theatre Arts, University of Arizona, 2002-2003
Courses Taught
AAD*1100 Introduction to Arts Administration
AAD*2200 Approaches to Arts Administration
AAD*270 Managing Your Online Presence
AAD*3300 Legal Aspects of Arts and Entertainment
AAD*4985 Internships in Arts Administration
AAD*4970 Senior Seminar in Arts Administration
AAD*4999 Arts Administration Research
COR*3615 Front Row Seat
Leadership Positions
Chair, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Performing Arts Inclusivity Committee, 2022-2024.
Co-founder/member of the Greater Greensboro Theatre Consortium, 2022-Present.
Director at Large, Stage Managers Association, 2019-2022.
Second Vice Chair, Stage Managers Association, 2007.
Research
Stage Manager Survey. Author and Lead Investigator. Editions: 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025. www.stagemanagersurvey.com
South African Creative Industries Technical Staff Survey. Co-author and Lead Investigator. 2019. www.sacits.com
SM2030 Project. Author and Lead Investigator. 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024. www.stagemanagersurvey.com
Return to the Stage. Co-author and Lead Investigator. 2020-2021. www.returntothestage.com.
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Grants Awarded
Fulbright Specialist Grant to assist the South African State Theatre in 2019 prepare FREEDOM: The Musical for an American tour.
Co-author for a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for the Greater Greensboro Theater Consortium to produce the Amplify Black Voices Festival.
Foundation for Stage Managers Grant to assist in the hiring of an interpreter for the German version of the survey. The international survey is offered in French, Spanish, Mandarin, and German.
Grants for the Piedmont Shakespeare Company (non-profit): $77,000+
ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Teaching and Learning Grant for "See the Dance" training module.
Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Innovatin Lab Fellowship, resulting in a chapter in New Directions in Cultural Policy Research.
Research Fellowship for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project.
ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Innovative Grant to launch the inaugural Discover Dance at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ project.
The Fund for Excellence in the Arts and Sciences for the Nonprofit Learning Series interviews.
Publications
"Stepping Outside the Classroom: Connecting Contextual Factors of American Universities and Arts Alumni's Entrepreneurial Intentions," chapter in , 2024. Co-authored with Dr. Wen Guo.
"The Arts Alumni Have Spoken: The Impact of Training in Higher Education on Entrepreneurial Careers," Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 2022. Co-authored with Dr. Wen Guo.
"Standby Cue 101: An Introduction to Calling Live Performances," educational film distributed by SM-Sim, LLC. 2012.
"The Epoch Model: An Arts Organization with an Expiration Date," Chapter in 20Under40: Re-inventing the Arts and Arts Education for the 21st Century, edited by Edward P. Clapp. 2010.
Presentations
“Studying Abroad by Partnering Locally”
Society for Arts Leadership Educators Conference
Co-Presented with Francesco Gori, Accademia Europea Firenze
“Introduction to Theatrical Interpreting”
Mt. Aloysius Biennial Interpreting Conference
“Hands Up! Working with ASL Interpreters on Theatrical Productions”
Florida State University Arts Admin Speaker Series: Arts & Accessibility
“Hands Up! Working with ASL Interpreters”
Southeastern Theatre Conference
“Managing Self-Reliant Careers as Performers”
Arts Council of Greater Greensboro
“Creating an International Study of Artists: Lessons Learned”
Association of Arts Administration Educators Webinar
“The Future(s) of Arts Entrepreneurship Education: Models to Prepare Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Careers,
Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities, based on book chapter “Stepping Outside the Classroom…"
“Student Organizations in Arts Management: Why, Where, and How”
Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference
“The Show Must Go On…But Can It?”
Production Managers Forum Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
“There’s No Business Like Show Business… And It Has to Change –
The Future of Work Part II,” Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference
“The Show Must Go On…But Can It? The Future of Work Part I”
Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference
“The Future of Work: Workforce and Workplace Strategies for the Performing Arts,”
Association of Performing Arts Professionals Pre-Conference
“The Arts Alumni Have Spoken: The Impact of Academic Training in Higher Education on Their Entrepreneurial Career Choices,”
Inaugural Conference for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project
“State of the Performing Arts Workforce – A Final Update” Webinar hosted
by AMS Analytics, session co-presented with Meg Friedman
“Return to the Stage: Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on the Performing Arts Workforce,”
Webinar for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals
“People First: How to Create Equitable Workplaces,”
Arts Midwest Conference
“Returning to the Stage – Performing Artists and Arts Organizations Dealing with COVID Long Haulers Issues,”
Webinar hosted by Performing Arts
Medicine Association, session co-presented with Meg Friedman
“The People and the Process: An Academic/Consultant Collaboration on a Performing Arts Study,”
AAAE Annual conference
Co-presented with Meg Friedman
“Stage Management on an International Stage,”
USITT Annual Conference
Co-presented with Ronel Jordaan
“Signs of Hope: Has the Performing Arts Workforce Recovery Begun?”
Webinar hosted by AMS Analytics, session co-presented with Meg Friedman
“Return to the Stage: A Snapshot of the Performing Arts Workforce in COVID,”
Webinar hosted by AMS Analytics, session co-presented with Meg Friedman
“Stage Management and the Working Relationship with the Production Team,”
Inaugural National Collaborator’s Conference
“The Power of AAAE Collaborations: International Research of Creative Industries Professionals,” AAAE Annual Conference
Presentation cancelled due to due to COVID-19 Pandemic; Co-presenter Ronel Jordaan Unable to Participate.
“Road Trips: Student Tours to Study Arts Communities,”
Southeastern Arts Leadership Educators Conference
Co-presented with Dr. Wen Guo
“Guest Lecturer/Production Guide Index Proposal,”
Stage Manager Association Board of Directors Retreat
“Year of the Stage Manager Proposal”
Annual Regional Meeting Actors’ Equity Association
“Ten-Minute Topics in Stage Management,”
USITT Annual Conference
Invited Panelist for 200+ participant panel
Career Development Panelist
USITT Annual Conference
“Thriving in Displacement: Facing the Challenges of the Unexpected,”
AAAE Annual Conference
“The Epoch Model: Theatres with Expiration Dates,”
SETC Conference
“National Stage Manager Survey: How Are We Evolving?”
SETC Conference
“Stage Management Education for Educators,”
USITT Conference
“Stage Management Roundtable,”
USITT Annual Conference
Career Development Panelist
USITT Annual Conference
Additional conference presentations prior to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ.
Professional Activities
Executive Director of the .
Managed professional theatre productions at Triad Stage, Chester Theatre Company, Iowa Summer Rep, Arizona Repertory Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Oldcastle Theatre, Perishable Theatre, StageWorks on the Hudson, Vilar Performing Arts Center, Whilte River Theatre Festival, and the Yale Repertory Theatre.
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Service Activities
Personal Information
Awards
Special Recognition in the Del Hughes Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management for the Stage Manager Survey
The Del Hughes are the highest awards in the field of Stage Management in the United States.