Mark Hairston

Medium headshot of Mark Hairston. They sit against a black background wearing a white sweater.

A native of Washington, DC, Mark H. is a director, performer and educator with a primary focus on American theater and theater of the African diaspora. He is particularly drawn to classical works, innovative literary adaptations, and theater for community development. His recent directing highlights include Julius CaesarThe Escape; or, A Leap for FreedomKing LearThe Cherry Orchard, and The Henry Dumas Project. Along with directing, Mark has worked extensively as a professional actor with some of the nation’s leading theater companies. He is a graduate of the MFA Directing program at Columbia University School of the Arts, received his BFA in Acting from Rutgers University, and was classically trained at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Mark is an Assistant Professor of Directing and Acting at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.