Richard Toscan

Richard Toscan was Dean of the School of Theatre at the University of Southern California where for many years he taught playwriting and play analysis. His professional work as a producer, story editor, playwright, and judge of new play and screenplay competitions informs his approach to what makes new plays work in the contemporary theatre. He has worked in association with Lucasfilm and many noted figures in theatre, film, and television. That experience has led him to stress the importance...See more

Richard Toscan was Dean of the School of Theatre at the University of Southern California where for many years he taught playwriting and play analysis. His professional work as a producer, story editor, playwright, and judge of new play and screenplay competitions informs his approach to what makes new plays work in the contemporary theatre. He has worked in association with Lucasfilm and many noted figures in theatre, film, and television. That experience has led him to stress the importance of developing "voice" as a playwright and the dual plot structures used by nearly all produced playwrights today. His radio dramas have been broadcast throughout the world by the BBC, NPR, CBC, and ABC. Toscan later taught playwriting and screenwriting while Dean of Portland State University's School of Fine & Performing Arts. More recently he was Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts where he founded the Cinema Program. See less