Ed.D. Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities, Expected 2022 – New York University. Dissertation; "One Stormé Night: Reclaiming Queer History Through Theatre and Culturally Responsive Teaching"
Artist Certificate in Physical & Devised Theatre, May 2014 – SITI Company Graduate Theatre Conservatory. Culminating performance; This is How I Don't Know How to Dance written by the SITI Conservatory and directed by Leon Ingulsrud.
M.A. Applied Sociology-Nonprofit Leadership, August 2013 – Oklahoma City University (Honors). Thesis/Culminating Project; "Targeted Marketing and the Arts: A Practical Project for Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre"
B.F.A. Acting, Minor in Directing, May 2010 – Oklahoma City University (Cum Laude).
New York University – New York, NY Spring 2021 - Summer 2020
Graduate Assistant & Co-Facilitator
Ignite Fellowship: Impactful Storytelling Through Audio
"The Cross-Cutting Initiative on Inequality, NYU Production Lab, and Wasserman Center for Career Development present Ignite Change: Impactful Storytelling Through Audio, a new fellowship that pairs NYU’s leading faculty with talented students to bring impactful research to life in the form of compelling audio stories. Through skill building workshops, industry mentorship, and experiential learning, students will create original audio stories that will bring new insights and learnings to the NYU community and beyond."
New York University – New York, NY 2020-Present
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Devised Theatre | MPAET-GE.2110 | Spring 2021
Physical Theatre Improvisation | MPAET-GE.2113 | Fall 2020
Devised Theatre | MPAET-GE.2110 | Summer 2020
Problems in Play Production: New Play Development | MPAET-GE.2152 | Summer 2020
New York University – NYU Production Lab – New York, NY 2019-Present
Experiential Learning & Entrepreneurial Artist Lead
· Co-Supervise and Co-Facilitate Creative Career Design Fellowship
· Develop Experiential Learning Based Curriculum in conjunction with the Lab and the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development
· Teach workshops on independent producing, project management, personal branding, building relationships, and networking to students in creative career fields
· Serve as a reader and coverage writer for feature length screenplays submitted to our Slate film support & financing program, as well as the Screenplay Development Studio
Putnam City Schools – Oklahoma City, OK June 2016-June 2019
District Chair of Theatre, Dance, Debate, & Film
· Developed and supervised curriculum in theatre, dance, film, and speech & debate for the 5th largest public-school district in the state
· Supervised 13 faculty members across 8 different school sites
· Planned and led and/or commissioned professional development trainings in the performing arts
· Built community partnerships with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, OKC Repertory, OKCU, University of Central Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University
Putnam City High School – Oklahoma City, OK August 2014-May 2019
Faculty; Director of Theatre and Debate
· Taught Acting I-IV, Stage Management, and Debate I & II
· Directed over 16 plays and musicals
· Produced a 3-4 show season and participated in One Act Play Contest and the National High School Musical Theatre Awards
· Competed in Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association’s and National Speech & Debate Association’s competitive acting, public speaking, and debate contests with numerous students and productions advancing to regional, state, and national contest
ASTEC Charter Schools – Oklahoma City, OK February 2012-July 2013
Dean of Student Activities | Student Services Coordinator
· Developed partnerships with community organizations
· Managed $350k + budget
· Supervised and successfully renewed $100k grant and community program “Strengthening Families” through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
· Increased school programming by 60%
· Built performing arts into a full-time program
ASTEC Charter Schools – Oklahoma City, OK August 2011-May 2012
Faculty; Computer Science and Robotics
· Taught grade 6 computer science & robotics to students in grades 9-12
ASTEC Charter Schools – Oklahoma City, OK August 2009-May2010
Resident Teaching Artist; Theatre
· After school teaching artist for acting and theatre grades 6-12 after school and coached Odyssey of the Mind team beginning in 2009
Oklahoma City Community College – Oklahoma City, OK Summer 2011
Adjunct Instructor; Introduction to Theatre
· Taught intro to theatre and fundamentals of acting to first generation college students through Upward Bound
Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference, Austin, TX (Upcoming - Fall 2021)
Presenter, Theatre and Social Change Debut Panel
Title of Presentation/Paper, "To create a new theatre we should return to the old world: How indigenous practices can inform and reform a toxic theatrical landscape"
New York University, New York, NY (Fall 2020)
Guest Lecturer, Program in Educational Theatre
MPAET-UE.1099 | MPAET-GE.2099 | Styles of Acting and Directing
Lesson Taught: "Selecting Translations of Foreign Language Scripts & Performing Verse in French Neoclassicism"
New York University, New York, NY (Fall 2020)
Guest Lecturer, Program in Educational Theatre
MPAET-GE.2113 | Physical Theatre Improvisation
Lesson Taught: "Introduction to the Suzuki Method of Actor Training"
New York University, New York, NY (Summer 2020 & Spring 2021)
Guest Lecturer, Program in Educational Theatre
MPAET-GE.2110 | Devised Theatre: Theory and Technique
Lesson Taught: "Devising from Visual Art: Pretext, Context, Theme & Variation"
Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, OK (Summer 2018)
Invited Workshop Facilitator, Oklahoma Drama Educators Convention
Workshop 1: "Devising Theatre with Youth"
Workshop 2: "Physical Theatre Techniques for Character Development and Staging Plays"
Putnam City Schools, Oklahoma City, OK (Fall 2017)
Professional Development Facilitator, District Wide Development Day
Workshop: "Creating Performances with and for Students with Dissabilities: Research Based Practices in Inclusion and Universal Design on the Stage and in the Classroom"
Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK (Spring 2014)
Guest Lecturer, School of Theatre
Post Modern Theatre & Departures from Realism
Lesson Taught: "Introduction to the Philosophy and Techniques of the Viewpoints & the Suzuki Method of Acting Training"
SDC Observership, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, & 2020-2021
Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, 2017 – "Making Theater During Times of Change"
Lincoln Center Education, Foundational Teaching Artist Laboratory, 2016
School Activity Fund Custodian Certificate, Oklahoma Center for School Business Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 2012
Dramatist Guild of America, Member
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Associate Member
Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, Member
National Education Association, Member
National Speech and Debate Association, Member
New York State Department of Education, Initial Teaching Certificate, Teacher #3773911, Theatre, Grades K-12, Valid until 01/31/2026
Oklahoma State Department of Education, Standard Teaching Certificate #411168, Speech/Drama/Debate, Grades K-12, Valid until 06/30/2025
Reddick, R. & Smith, D. L. (2020). Celebrity house party, or the networking role playing game: using theatre as a tool to increase social emotional learning in adults with a focus on building success in the business sector. Teaching Artist Journal, Volume 18 (2020), pp. 1-35.
Strengthening Families Grant, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, $100k, FY 2013, Strengthening Families Community Counseling Program, Program Supervisor for NW Oklahoma City and ASTEC Charter Schools.
Lowell and Nancy Swortzell Scholarship, New York University: Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Spring 2021
Lowell and Nancy Swortzell Scholarship, New York University: Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Fall 2020
Distinction in Coaching, National Speech and Debate Association, 2017
Outstanding Educator/Faculty Guest of Honor, Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, 2016
New York City Pride Award, Heritage of Pride Inc., 2014
Graduate Leadership Scholarship, Oklahoma City University: Petree College of Arts and Sciences, 2012-2013
Best Actor in a Leading Role, Oklahoma City University & Alpha Psi Omega, 2008-2009
Irene Ryan Acting Award Nominee, Kennedy Center ACTAF Region VI, 2008
American Indian Scholarship, Oklahoma City University & Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, 2006-2010
OCULeads Presidential Leadership Scholarship, Oklahoma City University, 2006-2007
Rotating Supporting Artist, CO/LAB Theatre, New York, NY Spring 2021
Verbatim Performance Lab & The Stern School of Business | Stern Business Simulation NYU Spring 2021
Graduate Assistant, Verbatim Performance Lab, Mirror Box Theatre, & Legion Arts, The Democratic Field, Cedar Rapids, IA, February 2020
Gifted and Talented Education Compliance Committee Member, Putnam City Schools, OKC, OK, 2017-2019
District Chair of Theatre, Dance, Debate, & Film, Putnam City Schools, OKC, OK, 2016-2019
President, SPECTRUM OKCU (LGBTQ+ Student Affinity Group), OKC, OK, 2007-2010
Distant Vision/ASM & 2nd Unit Production Manager & Cameo as Self/Director Francis Ford Coppola/Producer Jenny Gersten/Live Cinema Playhouse www.imdb.com/name/nm7382989/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Perhaps the World Ends Here Frankie Brown is a young Choctaw man with big dreams and an even bigger destiny. Hopelessly devoted to becoming a professional video gamer and e-sports star – despite some serious ineptitude – he pawns his personal belongings to pay his rent and further his dreams during unemployment. After unwittingly losing the key to the universe, he must undertake a journey of epic proportions accompanied by his gay best friend, his granddad, and a fearsome hopaiyai to prevent a great cataclysm.
Pry the Lid Off (co-written with Jeremiah Matthew Davis & Summer Wheat in collaboration with the OKC Ballet) Traditional Native American storytelling meets promenade theatre in this immersive activation of visual artist Summer Wheat's exhibition at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. Inspired by what is unseen in Vermeer's painting "The Milkmaid," Pry the Lid Off invites audiences to journey beyond the visible and explore the emotional power that we imbue in personal items and family heirlooms.
*Perhaps the World Ends Here written, directed, & edited by Daniel Leeman Smith/Local Classic Repertory Theatre/Slippery Rock, PA/Sept. 2020
Your Lips Are Moving But There's No Sound by Jess Honovich/Production Stage Manager/New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Dept. of Educational Theatre/June 2020
* = Recorded from Live Stream
Repulsing the Monkey by Michael Eichler/Eichler Productions @ The White Horse Tavern FiDi/New York, NY/Upcoming - Sept. 2021
*The Bathrobe Club by Adam Davies/Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre/OKC, OK/2018
Pry the Lid Off by Jeremiah Matthew Davis, Summer Wheat, & Daniel Leeman Smith, devised from the visual art work of Summer Wheat/Oklahoma Contemporary Arts & the Oklahoma City Ballet/OKC, OK/2016
Jackie by Elfriede Jelinek, translated by Gitta Honeggar/The Marshall Experimental Company/OKC, OK/2015
The Hospice by Mark Henricksen/Theatre Collective OKC/OKC, OK/2011
The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later by Moisés Kaufman & Tectonic Theater Project/OKCU, Tectonic, & Lincoln Center Theater/OKC, OK/2009
Broadway Fun for Funds (conceived, produced, and directed a musical theatre, drag, and burlesque review show as a fundraiser for local HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ charities)/OKC, OK/2009 & 2010
* = Developmental Staged Reading
*The Music Man in Concert by Meredith Wilson/Director Harry B. Parker/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2018
Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn/Director Brian Parsons/Oklahoma City Repertory & OKCU/Oklahoma City, OK/2017
Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice/Director Michael Jones/Oklahoma City Repertory & OKCU/Oklahoma City, OK/2015
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang/Director Michael Jones/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2014
November by David Mamet/Donald Jordan/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2012
* = Associate Director & Youth Director (ran music and dance rehearsals and did one on one acting coaching for the youth cast members)
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2019
Urinetown: The Musical music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, book and lyrics by Greg Kotis/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2019 (6 nominations for the Kelli O'Hara & National High School Musical Theatre Awards)
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: An Instant Message with Excitable Music by Rolin Jones/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2019
Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach book by Timothy Allen McDonald with music by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2018
The Most Massive Woman Wins by Madeleine George/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2017 (1st Place Regional One Act Play Contest & State Finalist)
The Wiz book by William F. Brown with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2017
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016 (2nd Place Regional One Act Play Contest & State Finalist)
The Odd Couple by Neil Simon/Putnam City Original/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin & William Finn/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016
The Amish Project by Jessica Dickey/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2015 (2nd Place Regional One Act Play Contest & State Finalist)
The Proposal by Anton Chekhov, translated by Carol Rocamora/Putnam City HS/OKC, OK/2014
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare/Movement Directing & Text Coaching/Director Amy Cordileone/New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, Dept. of Educational Theatre, Looking for Shakespeare Camp/New York, NY/2019
Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn/Director Brian Parsons/Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre & OKCU/OKC, OK/2017
Hiring Care a verbatim audio drama/Chelsea/Created & Directed by Wolfgang Vachon/University of Victoria/Victoria, BC, CA/ 2020
San Sebastián Street Festival a theatrical mask performance/Directed by Deborah Hunt/Papel Machete & NYU Steinhardt/San Juan, PR/Jan 2020
Cooking with Candy a short solo performance by Daniel Leeman Smith/Candy/Directed by Anna Deavere Smith/NYU Tisch, Dept. of Performance Studies/New York, NY/2019
The Ferry Play by Jessi Bear/Multiple Characters/Directed by Erin Mee/This Is Not A Theatre Company/New York, NY/2015
This Is How I Don't Know How To Dance by the SITI Conservatory/Adele/SITI Company Graduate Theatre Conservatory (Barrow Group Theatre)/New York, NY/2014
**Your Lips Are Moving But There's No Sound by Jess Honovich/Director Joe Salvatore/Production Stage Manager/New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, & Human Development/New York, NY/2020
Scissortail by Isaiah Werner/Director Chelcy Harrell/Production Manager, Production Stage Manager, & Scenic Carpenter/Fresh Paint Performance Lab/Oklahoma City, OK/2018
2017 NYC Pride March/Talent & Broadcast Crew for 1st ever televised NYC Pride March on ABC/Heritage of Pride Inc./New York, NY/2017
2015 NYC Pride Festival/Production Stage Manager/worked with Bianca Del Rio, Dina Delicious, Alexis Michelle, and numerous local NYC drag performers/Heritage of Pride Inc./New York, NY/2015
2015 NYC Pride Rally/Talent Manager/worked with Sir. Ian McKellen, Sir. Derek Jacobi, Ashanti, Tituss Burgess, Adore Delano, and others//Heritage of Pride Inc./New York, NY/2015
2014 NYC Pride Rally/Talent Manager & Volunteer Manager/worked with Susan Sarandon, Michelle Visage, Laverne Cox, Betty Who, Steve Grand, & Sharon Needles//Heritage of Pride Inc./New York, NY/2014
* = Digital Production
** = Digital Staged Reading