Holly E. McDonald – Theatre Educator, Innovator, and Advocate for Arts

Holly E. McDonald is a dedicated theatre faculty member at the University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Performing Arts, where she teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. She also serves as a Faculty Affiliate with the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and supervises Graduate Teaching Assistants, mentoring the next generation of theatre educators.

A trailblazer in course design and instruction, McDonald has developed and instructed theatre courses across multiple delivery formats—including face-to-face, web-based, mixed mode, and live stream—to enhance accessibility for a wide and diverse range of learners. Her inclusive approach supports national and international students, as well as traditional, non-traditional, and students with various needs.

Renowned for her leadership and innovation, McDonald has achieved numerous “firsts” within the UCF Theatre program. She was the first faculty member to develop and teach a fully web-based theatre course, co-create an interactive digital textbook with Kendall Hunt Publishing, and be recognized by the publisher as Author of the Month. She pioneered courses in Queer Theatre, Theatre of Diversity, Theatre for Social Change, and Women in Theatre—creating vital curricular space for representing various voices and stories.

McDonald’s commitment to socially engaged theatre is further evidenced by her early participation in the national SEED program led by Peggy McIntosh and her contributions to initiatives such as the Florida Prison Education Project and the Veterans Legacy Program. She was the first theatre faculty member to design and teach a web-based theatre survey course for incarcerated learners and to create community-centered programming for veterans and K–12 students.

She also played a foundational role in shaping broader institutional initiatives, including the original development of UCF’s General Education Program and its first cultural competencies program. As a founding contributor, she helped launch the BA track in Socially Engaged Theatre and forged partnerships with nationally and internationally recognized grassroots organizations to form theatre troupes addressing critical social issues.

A committed campus and community advocate, McDonald is a certified UCF ALLY and has completed the Secular Safe Zone training, underscoring her dedication to equity, inclusion, and student safety in all aspects of her work.

Website: https://www.hollyemcdonald.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-e-mcdonald-919a5129/