BIOGRAPHY
José Casas is a playwright, director, and
Assistant Professor who heads the Playwriting Minor in the Department of
Theatre & Drama at the University of Michigan. He has a B.A. in Dramatic
Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a M.A. in Thetre Arts
from California State University, Los Angeles, a M.F.A. in Playwriting from
Arizona State University, as well graudate work in the Drama and Theatre for
Youth and Communities graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. He
is a member of the Dramatists Guild and TYA/USA. He is also a board member of
The Children’s Theatre Foundation of America.
He is currently working on two books: Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of
Latina/o Theatre for Young Audiences (2021 release) and Every Great Dream: Visioning African
American Theatre for Young Audiences (2022); both to be published by
Dramatic Publishing.
His plays, la ofrenda and somebody’s
children were recipients of both the Bonderman National Playwriting for
Youth Award and the American Alliance of Theatre and Education’s Distinguished
Play Award. His book, Palabras del Cielo:
An Exploration of Latina/o Theatre for Young Audiences was a recipient of
an AATE Distinguished Book Award.
His plays include aDoBe, the vine, 14, la
ofrenda, Desvelado, a rose grows beyond the wall, jj’s place, a million whispers in the wind, somebody’s
children, Pedro y El Lobo, and Flint. His work has been included in a number of anthologies such as The Bully
Plays, Ethnodrama: An Anthology of
Reality Theatre, and Theatre for
Youth II: More Plays With Mature Themes. His published work includes la ofrenda, 14, somebody’s children,
and Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of
Latina/o Theatre for Young Audiences.