Department of Theatre and Dance

• Master of Fine Arts - UNC Greensboro
• Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude - Western Carolina University
• 1998-99 Fellow, Shakespeare Lives!, a program of Shakespeare’s Globe of London & UNC School of the Arts, studying classical theatre and performing on the Globe stage
• Creative Drama Award, American Alliance for Theatre & Education, for excellence in the field of drama for young people

With 43 years of teaching experience, Jonathan Ray was formerly a member of the full-time faculty in the Department of Communication Arts and Director of the Appalachian Young People’s Theatre. He has also taught at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Jonathan's teaching experience in public schools includes Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, Catawba County Schools, and Newton-Conover City Schools, teaching Theatre Arts, ESL, and Public Speaking at elementary, middle, and high schools.

Jonathan's professional acting credits include CPCC Summer Theatre, Charlotte Shakespeare, and Carolina Actor’s Studio Theatre in Charlotte. He has performed in summer stock at Flat Rock Playhouse, Lees-MacRae Summer Theatre, and Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre.

As a freelance director, Jonathan has staged more than 80 productions for professional, university, community, secondary, and children’s theatre companies. For the past 26 years he has co-directed (with Appalachian State theatre alumnus David Brown) The Green Room Summer Shakespeare Theatre Institute in Newton where each year a dozen certified faculty and 10-15 paid college interns train dozens of students ages 8-17 in classical performance. He has also directed and performed for Shakespeare in the Park in Newton, NC since 2006.