Richard D. Stafford, Ph.D.
Welcome to my Georgia Highlands College faculty webpage. My academic research includes theatre and communications topics. My published research includes personal interviews I conducted with the late American playwright, Arthur Miller (The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, and An Enemy of the People, an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's monumental play); a personal dialogue with playwright Edward Albee, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, A Zoo Story, and other stage plays; and a personal interview with New York Times Op-Ed editor, Frank Rich. Other published theatre interviews include playwright Lee Blessing and American play directors Adrian Hall, Elizabeth LeCompte and the late A.J. Antoon.
Edward Albee Elizabeth LeCompte Lee Blessing Frank Rich Arthur Miller Adrian Hall
I have written the following stage plays and musicals: The Funeral Club, Yours, DOVE: The Musical, Best Foot Forward, Shades of Gray, Chief Bowles: A Cherokee and a new production to be produced in Statesboro, Georgia at Averritt Arts Center/Georgia Southern, a stage musical celebrating the life and music of Georgia's original blues composer/guitarist/song writer...Blind Willie McTell. My fiction and non-fiction books include: From Risk to Reason: Voting to Change the Leadership of America in 2008, The Caspian Conspiracy, The Funeral Club, Beyond the Beach, and Summer at Hope's Croft. The Funeral Club premiered at the 14th Street Playhouse at the Woodruff Arts Center in 2004. My play, Yours, a Civil War romantic drama based on 142 authentic love letters between a Northern officer and his wife, was lucky to win several awards in Americus, Georgia for the Georgia Theatre Conference on new plays. It is being staged in various theaters in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Intercultural communication topics are interesting to me, as I have had the opportunity to travel to 42 countries. In 1996, I was a Rotary Group Study Exchange member to India, and in 1998 I was awarded a Fulbright Teaching position to Tawain, which I have moved to my retirement days in the future. I have guided study abroad student groups to Jamaica (Black Caribbean Theatre) and England (Shakespeare and Stratford). I have also captained a 70' sailboat for a week with 12 students aboard, as we studied local theatre in the Bahamas.
Some of my favorite activities include mountain trail hiking, sailing, canopy zip-lining, writing and family. I'd like you to come visit me and tell me about your interests, as well.
I would enjoy hearing about your plans, hopes and dreams as a student and desire that you take some time to come visit me and share your past and future travel, learning and life experiences with me.
Richard Stafford, Ph.D.
