Gary Minyard

Gary believes that participation in the arts is an essential component of every person’s well-being. At Dayton Live, he has created many community-based arts initiatives including Superhero Girls Like Me, Radio Waves, and Guitars: A Bridge To Broadway. Gary also created the Miami Valley High School Theatre Awards (MVHSTAs), which is a Regional Awards Program for The Jimmy Awards®. He introduced “Sensory-Friendly” performances to Dayton Live, creating judgement-free spaces for people with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other social, learning, or cognitive disabilities. Gary also created the Dayton Live Creative Academy where students from all over the Miami Valley can participate in performing arts classes, camps, and intensives throughout the year. He also produces several shows at Dayton Live including the Unplugged series in the PNC Arts Annex, the MVHSTA Showcase, and an annual holiday cabaret. Gary also writes and stars in “Behind The Scenes,” a video series celebrating theatre facts, stories, and lore.

Gary is an award-winning director and movement/fight choreographer who graduated with an MFA in Theatre for Youth and Directing from Arizona State University. Gary also studied at the University of Houston and trained at the L'Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Gary is the Past-President of the Ohio Arts Professionals Network (OAPN) and a Past-President of the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE). He is a founding member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Arts Alliance (EPAA), a member of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA-USA), the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and Theatre Communications Group (TCG). He has also toured extensively as an actor, director, and teaching artist through 48 of our 50 states with many professional theatre companies.