Andy Head Headshot

Andy Head

School Director, Performing Arts

Dean’s Office
College of Liberal Arts
awhgla@rit.edu
Office Location
LBJ-1531

Andy Head

School Director, Performing Arts

Dean’s Office
College of Liberal Arts

Education

BS, Bradley University; MFA, Michigan State University

Bio

Andy Head is the Interim Director of the School of Performing Arts at RIT and an Associate Professor also jointly appointed with the NTID Department of Performing Arts. 

Since joining RIT/NTID, he has directed "Love’s Fire: Seven Plays Inspired by Seven Shakespearean Sonnets" (2016), an adapted version of "Peer Gynt" with the RIT Orchestra (2017), "Stupid F*cking Bird" (2018), "Cabaret" (2018), "I and You" (2019), “She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms” (2021), “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” (2021), "Everybody" (2022), the immersive, team-directed production of "Thy Name is Woman" (2023), and "The Nether" (2026). He also team-directed "Broadway Bake Off" (2024) for the School of Performing Arts and served as assistant director and vocal coach for "Peter and the Starcatcher" (2024) with NTID Performing Arts. Two of his productions, "I and You" and “Angels in America”, were selected to perform at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region 2. “I and You” won a 2020 Outstanding Ensemble Production award from the KCACTF National Committee. “Angels in America” won a 2022 Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Award from KCACTF National Committee, among others. The award “recognizes programs in higher education using theatrical production to promote long-term societal impact through an artistic lens, to encourage empathetic exploration of the complex cultural and physical world, and to advocate for justice on campus and throughout the world.” His co-authored book, Staging Deaf and Hearing Theatre Productions: A Practical Guide, won the Association for Theatre in Higher Education 2025 Outstanding Book Award for Pedagogical Achievement.

Andy completed his graduate studies in Acting at Michigan State University. He has acted professionally with the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, New Harmony Theatre, Summer Circle Theatre, and the Williamston Theatre. Locally he's appeared in the Rochester Fringe Festival, at the Wallbyrd Theatre Company, and with Blackfriars Theatre. 

Andy has carried theatre outreach work to Ghana, where he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years and created educational theatre pieces with members of his community. Before joining the RIT faculty, Andy taught for the Performing Arts Department at the University of Southern Indiana.

Courses Offered:
Introduction to Theatre
Introduction to Theatre (Online)
Introduction to Performing Arts
Traditions of Theatre in the US
Traditions of Shakespearean Theatre
Museum Theatre
Fundamentals of Acting
Auditioning Techniques
Devising Theatre
Theatre Ensemble
Technical Theatre Pathways
Dramatic Theory & Text Analysis
Experiential Learning in Performing Arts

His current office is LBJ-1531.

awhgla@rit.edu

Select Scholarship

National/International Competition Award Winner
Head, Andy and Jill Marie Bradbury. Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Outstanding Book Award for Pedagogical Achievement. ATHE Annual Conference, online, 2025.
Head, Andy. Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Committee. Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Award for "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches". Washington, DC, 2022.
Head, Andy. Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Committee. Outstanding Production Ensemble for "I and You". Washington, DC, 2020.
Full Length Book
Head, Andy and Jill Marie Bradbury. "Staging Deaf and Hearing Theatre Productions: A Practical Guide." Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2024. Print.
Shows/Exhibits/Installations
Bradbury, Jill, Alexa Scott-Flaherty, and Andy Head. Thy Name is Woman. 9-12 Nov. 2023. Lyndon Baines Johnson Hall, Rochester. Performance.
Guido, JW and Andy Head. Peter and the Starcatcher. By Rick Elice. 15-17 Nov. 2024. Panara Theatre, Rochester. Performance.
Jacobs-Jenkins, Branden. Everybody. 10-13 Nov. 2022. Ingle Auditorium, Rochester. Performance.
Nguyen, Qui. She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms. 16-18 Apr. 2021. Panara Theatre/Youtube, Rochester/online. Performance.
Kushner, Tony. Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. 16-18 Nov. 2021. Panara Theatre, Rochester. Performance.
Gunderson, Lauren. I and You. 25-27 Oct. 2019. LBJ-1510 Lab Theatre, Rochester. Performance.
Invited Keynote/Presentation
Head, Andy, et al. "Building a Performing Arts Ecosystem in a STEM-focused Institution." a2ru. Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY. 14 Nov. 2024. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy and Gary Jacobs. "The Compositor: How Hybrid Productions Will Create a New Job Title in Theatre." 42nd Annual Mid-America Theatre Conference. MATC. Cleveland, OH, United States. 5 Mar. 2022. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy. "Embracing the ‘Virtual’ in She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms." 2022 Annual Conference. Association for Theatre in High Education. Detroit, Michigan. 30 Jul. 2022. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy, Victoria Covell, and Kendell Charles. "Deaf Actors, Hearing Director: Tackling Challenges in Adaptation." Region 2 - Festival 52. Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. College Park, MD. 18 Jan. 2020. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy. "From the Director’s Notebook: Conceptualizing Theatrical Worlds for Deaf and Hearing Characters." 41st Annual Mid-America Theater Conference. MATC. Chicago, IL. 8 Mar. 2020. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy, et al. "Blurring Boundaries and Dissolving Silos: Developing an XR Museum Project in Collaboration." Educators in VR Series. Educators in VR. AltpaceVR, VR. 20 Oct. 2020. Guest Lecture.
Head, Andy, et al. "SOMNIUM" VR Demo." Frameless Labs Symposium. Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY. 19 Nov. 2020. Conference Presentation.
Head, Andy and Omen Sade. "Into the Unknown!: Digital Theatre and Boldly Going Forward with "SOMNIUM"." Frameless Labs Symposium. Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, New York. 20 Nov. 2020. Conference Presentation.
Peer Reviewed/Juried Poster Presentation or Conference Paper
Kushner, Tony. "Invited Production: Angels in America: Millennium Approaches." Proceedings of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival - Region 2 Festival 54. Ed. Andy Head. Online, Online: n.p..
Gunderson, Lauren. "Invited Production: I and You." Proceedings of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival - Region 2 Festival 52; University of Maryland: January 14-18, 2020. Ed. Andy Head. College Park, Maryland: n.p..
Kander, John, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff. "Invited Scene: Cabaret." Proceedings of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival - Region 2 Festival 51; Montclair State University; January 15-18, 2019. Ed. Andy Head. Montclair, New Jersey: n.p..
Invited Article/Publication
Head, Andy and Gary Jacobs. "The Compositor: How Hybrid Productions Will Create a New Job Title in Theatre." Theatre/Practice. (2023). Web.
Head, Andy. "“Equal Prominence: Directing a Deaf and Hearing Production of I and You." Theatre/Practice. (2021). Web.

Currently Teaching

PRFL-221
Fundamentals of Acting
3 Credits
This course will introduce students to the history and theory of acting in Western Culture from the late 19th century up to the present day. Particular focus will be paid to the theories of Stanislavsky and Stanislavsky-based approaches along with complementary and contrasting methods developed by such theorist/practitioners as Jerzy Grotowski, Lee Strasberg, and Sanford Meisner. Students can expect a course that combines lecture/discussion with practical exercises designed to apply concepts and theory using acting techniques designed to strengthen vocal and physical expression and to stimulate the imagination. In addition, actors will be introduced to scene work and develop skills for text analysis as a basis for character development. Assessment will include quizzes, papers, and in-class participation in exercises and scene work. As an introductory course, the course objectives are to provide students with a broad survey of the aesthetics, theory, and practice of acting.
PRFL-288
Small Group Performance
0-1 Credits
This course involves rehearsing and performing in small performance groups in music, theatre and dance. Groups may include flute choir, saxophone quartet, horn ensemble, woodwind or brass ensembles, theatre groups engaged in devised or classical theatre, dance groups, or mixed instrument or vocal groups. Ideas about as well as the application of collaboration and/or improvisation will be emphasized. Students will be led by a faculty member and will rehearse weekly. Collaborative practice in rehearsals and performances will also be discussed and applied within the context of the students’ major(s). Instructor approval required.
PRFL-319
Themes in Theatre Studies
3 Credits
Themes in Theatre Studies is a variable topics course that offers students a deep dive into a specific subject of theatre theory and history. Topics and methods vary from term to term, though each offering features an introduction to a theme, concept, methodology, or other subfield of study within theatre history and play analysis. The course offers the opportunity to build knowledge and evaluate the artistic expression of specific events, issues, and opportunities unique to theatre, dramatic theory, and performance studies. Possible subjects range from the history of mask-work on stage, witches depicted through dramatic literature, and theories of theatrical space in site-specific performance. Students develop theoretical and experiential knowledge of the topic under investigation while fostering opportunities to respond to recent events and to interpret the societal and cultural frameworks in which the concepts emerge. Students, acting as investigators, delve deeply into their topics, conducting research and exploration to create deliverables appropriate to their experience. These may include presentations, projects, and performances, all of which reflect their investigative process and findings. The topic will be announced prior to the course offering.
PRFN-100
Introduction to Performing Arts
3 Credits
This course will examine the characteristics and elements of theatre and the performing arts, emphasizing the principles and conventions that guided theatre productions through history. The course examines the ways that theatre influences and is influenced by cultures and by individual life experience. Particular attention is paid to the development of scripts, visual theatre, theatre vocabulary, and the emergence of Deaf and multicultural theatre.

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