Deric McNish is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University where he serves as Program Director for the MFA in Acting program. He primarily teaches performance courses to BFA and MFA acting students. His courses focus on acting, voice, speech, dialects, voiceovers, scene study, devising, and disability studies. He also develops theatre-based techniques to improve English language learning and teaches courses on Disability in Performance in the Integrated Arts and Humanities Program.
- Deric received a 2021 MSU Educator Award and a 2019-2020 Hub Faculty Fellowship.
- Deric has been awarded the 2019 Teacher-Scholar Award. This university-wide award is the highest distinction an assistant or associate professor can achieve at Michigan State University in their early career.
- Deric was awarded the 2018 AT&T Award in Instructional Technology.
- Deric was awarded a competitive year-long fellowship by the Adams Academy for Instructional Excellence and Innovation for 2018-2019.
- Deric was awarded the 2017 CAL Award for Innovation and Leadership in Teaching.
- Deric was awarded the 2017 Fintz Award for Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.
Courses at Michigan State University
New graduate courses for the MFA in Acting:
- Shakespeare in Performance (THR801)
- Classical Acting (THR801)
- Professional Voiceovers (THR804)
- Solo Performance (THR 801)
- Graduate Voice I: Voice for the Actor (THR 801)
- Graduate Voice II: Acting with Accents and Phonetics (THR 804)
- Graduate Acting: The Psychophysical Approach (THR 801)
Several new undergraduate courses:
- Professional Voiceovers (THR 304)
- Acting I: Introduction to Acting (THR 201) - sections for BFA Actors, BA Actors, and non-majors.
- Voice I: Voice for the Actor (THR 202)
- Voice II: Acting with Accents and Phonetics (THR 402)
- Acting II: Approaches to Advanced Scene Study (THR 201)
- Sex, Sexuality, and Theatre (THR336): Course co-developer
- Disability in Performance (IAH 209): Integrated Arts and Humanities program. Developed and taught fully in-person, hybrid, and online versions.
- Devising (THR492, team-taught)
- Senior Showcase (THR492): Produce and direct MSU's Industry showcase for BFA and MFA actors.
- American Performing Arts (ESL 093): Collaboration with English Language Center. Read this article for more information.
- Creative Dramatics: Co-developed the online version of this course and created a hybrid version. Primarily for students in the College of Education.
- Theatrical Play Analysis (THR 110)
- BFA Capstone (THR491, team-taught)
Courses at the University of Michigan
- Performing Fluency: English Language Institute. Drama-based cross-cultural summer program for South Korean college students.
- Interactive Speaking: English Language Institute. Drama-based English language instruction for graduate students in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program.
Courses at the University of Colorado Boulder
- Development of the American Musical Theatre (THTR 3011)
- Acting I for Majors (THTR 2003)
- Acting for Non-Majors (THTR 1003)