Biography

Howard Shangraw is an award-winning American actor, director, and educator with an extensive background in theater, film, and television. His professional stage credits feature work off-Broadway, in regional theater, and with notable companies such as the Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, and the Laguna Playhouse, while his screen appearances include roles in series like Frasier, Wings, Days of Our Lives, Cagney & Lacey, Hill Street Blues, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. As a versatile director, he has helmed classical and contemporary productions for organizations including Coachella Valley Repertory, South Coast Repertory, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and international venues like Barcelona's Teatro Mediterráneo. Alongside his performance and directing career, Shangraw is a prominent acting instructor who has taught internationally and served as the chair of the theatre department at the Idyllwild Arts Academy from 2004 to 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from Brandeis University and was trained in improvisation by Viola Spolin.