George Popovich, Ph.D.

Dr. George Popovich was the full-time Director of Theatre at HFC from 1985-2017. He retired in 2017. He is currently an adjunct instructor in the theatre program.

Popovich received B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the California State University and a Secondary Teaching Credential and Community College Teaching Credential from the California State University. He received an M.A. in Directing from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. in Theatre from the Ohio State University. He has taught secondary school full-time in California, Ohio, and Texas and University and Community College in California, Texas, Ohio, and Michigan.

He is a graduate of South Coast Repertory Acting Conservatory, a Tony award winner for best regional theatre in the United States. While in California, Popovich directed professionally at The Cabrillo Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, and The Sandcastle Players. Popovich developed the Associate Arts Degree in Theatre at HFC and founded The New Playwright's Workshop, which produced new plays by Michigan playwrights each spring.

Popovich's productions of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Macbeth, The Grapes of Wrath, The Tempest, The Skriker, and Bug have been honored by the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival. He was the creator and Director of HFC's Virtual Theatricality Lab and received over $500,000.00 in grants for the creation of the Lab.

He received The Dearborn Mayor's Arts Council Award for best Performer/Artist and was was inducted into The Dearborn Theatre Hall of Fame. He also received The Dearborn Mayor’s Arts Council Award for Arts Educator of the year. His virtual reality production of The Tempest was a regional winner at The Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival at Illinois State University. He directed The virtual reality production of Caryl Churchill's The Skriker. He is listed in Who’s Who in America for his pioneering work in digital theatre through The Virtual Theatricality Lab. He was invited to the Kennedy Center's American College Theatre Festival to give a Motion Capture Workshop and won the Michigan Education LAND award for best innovation and the Community College Innovation League Award. His Virtual Theatricality Lab was a national finalist for The Bellwether Award, an award that honors innovation in community college teaching.