Weebly Site

Erik Ramsey shares teaching duties with Charles Smith in the MFA Playwriting Program at Ohio University and is also head of BFA playwriting. His plays have been produced around the country, and Samuel French and Dramatic Publishing have published several of his short works. His recent play, LIONS LOST, has been developed at numerous regional theaters including Cleveland Public Theatre, American Stage, Victory Gardens, and Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. Currently, he is writing a trilogy of historical dramas about the surprising turn of events that boosted Joseph Smith from life as a small time con-artist to Prophet of the Mormon Church; the first in the series, titled SMITH UNEARTHED, has recently been featured and developed at WordBridge Play Lab (Clemson: 2007), the International Society of Contemporary Literature and Theatre Conference (Estonia: 2007), the Gwen Frostic National Reading Series at Western Michigan University (Nov, 2008), and received an OU College Of Fine Arts Creative Research Award for an Equity workshop at Brick Monkey Theater Ensemble (Dec, 2008). As a professional new play dramaturg, Erik has consulted on the development of a number of award winning plays, including Julie Jensen's DUST EATERS, nominated by the American Theatre Critics Association for best new play produced outside New York in 2005, and one of four finalists for the PEN USA 2006 Literary Awards for Drama. His two textbooks, The Art of Theatre: Then and Now and Experiencing the Art of Theatre are in their second edition from Wadsworth (2010), and are in use at over 100 colleges and universities nationwide. In 2007 Erik was named a Kennedy Center Faculty Fellow for his work in new play development.