[Theatre History]

Dr. Donald Gagnon is chair of the English department at Western Connecticut State University, where he teaches American literature, with specialties in modern drama, queer literature, and African American literature.  He began his studies as a theatre major at the University of New Hampshire and performed both on campus and on two international tours.  A musical theatre historian with more than 1000 original cast recordings in his library, he has presented and published on all aspects of modern and contemporary theatre, from Eugene O’Neill to August Wilson to Stephen Sondheim to Suzan-Lori Parks to James Baldwin to Rodgers and Hammerstein, at international conferences and in both academic and popular journals. His favorite place to be is in a classroom.