Erin Degner (she/her) is Associate Professor of Theatre at Drake University and serves as Head of the Musical Theatre BFA program. She earned her M.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Prior to joining Drake in 2017, she built an extensive career as an actor, director, and choreographer, working with professional theatre companies throughout the Midwest.
As a performer, Degner has appeared on stages across the country, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall. Her performance work has been recognized with multiple Kennedy Center Irene Ryan Acting Award nominations, and she was selected as a finalist for the Musical Theatre Intensive at the American College Theatre Regional Festival (ACTF) in Washington DC.
At Drake, Degner teaches musical theatre acting, dance (Tap, Musical Theatre Dance Styles), choreography, and movement-based performance techniques, with a particular focus on Rasaboxes, Viewpoints, and Contact Improvisation. She remains actively engaged in the Des Moines arts community, performing, directing, and choreographing for organizations including Iowa Stage Theatre Company and The Des Moines Playhouse. In addition, she serves as an adjudicator for the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards - a regional program affiliated with The Jimmy Awards in NYC, and for Region V of the American College Theatre Festival.
Her recent work was recognized with a Kennedy Center National Merit Award for her direction and choreography of Wings, a new musical that received its world premiere production at Drake University.
