👋 Hi, I’m
David
Gorshein
I'm a
Helping organizations communicate complex ideas through conferences, learning experiences, and audience-centered content.
I started as a theater kid, fascinated by the moments when a room full of people suddenly understood something together.
That interest in audiences, communication, and engagement led me to study Communication at the University of Michigan and later earn a Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies from UCLA, where I continue to teach today. Along the way, I became increasingly interested in how ideas move beyond classrooms and stages into organizations, communities, and everyday decision-making. Today, I help organizations translate complex ideas into conferences, presentations, workshops, and learning experiences that audiences can understand, engage with, and act upon. My clients have included Yum! Brands, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, United States Tennis Association, Crunch Fitness, and Cabi. My work has supported conference programs, executive communications, technology adoption initiatives, and large-scale stakeholder engagement efforts. Alongside my consulting work, I teach at UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, where I have developed more than 65 courses reaching over 10,000 students across online and in-person environments.-
PhD
Theater and Performance
University of California, Los Angeles -
BA with high honors
Communication
Drama minor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
-
Biz Bash Event Experience Award
Taco Bell Franchisee Convention: “Unstoppa-Bell”
-
GLAAD Media Award Nomination, Outstanding Talk Show Episode
Conan, First same-sex wedding aired on Late Night TV
-
Excellence Review
UCLA 2024
-
Continuing Lecturer Status
UCLA 2019
-
Fellow
Mellon Program on the Holocaust in American and World Culture
-
Recipient
UCLA Library Affordable Course Materials Initiative
-
Debut Prize, LGBT Focus Group
Association for Theater in Higher Educaiton
-
Research Prize
James Pendleton Foundation
-
Cvent
Event-Led Growth (ELG) Certified
-
Anthropic
AI Fluency
-
AWS
Generative AI for Executives
-
Google
Generative AI for Educators
-
Databricks Academy Accreditation
Generative AI Fundamentals
-
HubSpot Academy
Social Media Certified
-
Chekhov International Theatre Festival
Research Fellowship, Moscow, Russia
-
Summer Fellow
Northwestern Performance Studies Institute
-
Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation
Board Director | 2026–Present
WORK
Teaching & Learning
I'm a Continuing Lecturer at UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, where I've developed and taught 65+ undergraduate courses reaching more than 10,000 students, including:
– Introduction to Theater
– History of American Musical Theater
– History of American Theater and Drama
– Global Theater History
– Play Reading & Analysis
– Jewish Theater
– Classical and Medieval Theater
Recipient of UCLA's Affordable Course Materials Award for expanding access to lower-cost course materials.
I also serve as a UCLA Admissions representative, interviewing prospective students and supporting the school's recruitment efforts.
Previously I taught at California State University, Long Beach, where I served as Coordinator of Critical Studies and taught:
– Theater, Protest & Social Change
– Dramatic Theory and Criticism
I've also taught at Loyola Marymount University:
– Western Theatre History and Literature
– 19th Century US Theater
And I've taught at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy:
– Early Theater Traditions
– American Theater History
– Musical Theater History
Publications
• Academic
– Jews on Broadway
– Transposing Broadway
– The Dig: Death + Genesis + The Double Helix
• Public
-
-
(323) 213 9684