Educator
Douglas DuBrin’s long-standing career as an educator serves as both the professional anchor and a profound thematic resource for his theatrical work. For years, he has served as an English teacher and department chair at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois. Immersed daily in classical literature, foundational historical texts, and the mechanics of speech, DuBrin has frequently channeled his academic expertise into public education resources, famously designing widely utilized literary and rhetorical lesson plans for PBS LearningMedia on iconic American texts like Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech. (See lesson plans below)
This deep engagement with formal rhetoric, structural mechanics, and the intricacies of language directly informs his playwriting. While DuBrin has noted that his creative impulse preceded his teaching career, his classroom exposure to heavy literary analysis sharpens the precision of his dialogue and thematic layering. The analytical lens required to teach complex literature manifests in his plays as highly structured, conceptually driven plotlines—whether he is deconstructing the psychological implications of artificial intelligence in Intestinal Pulchritude or writing tightly wound, suspenseful narratives like The AI Mystery and Conduct Unbecoming.
Furthermore, DuBrin's dual identity allows him to explore his affinity for dark comedy and speculative themes from an acutely observant perspective. Interacting with evolving generations of students and contemporary cultural shifts provides him with front-row insights into societal anxieties regarding technology and the future. This synergy between pedagogical structure and creative experimentation enables him to seamlessly shift from shaping the minds of students in Illinois to challenging Off-Broadway theater audiences with provocative, intellect-driven drama.
Lesson Plans
Introduction
Students will study Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, analyzing its rhetorical influences and oratorical techniques while exploring how speeches both resemble and differ from other forms of literature.
The March on Washington and its impact
Overview
Students will read Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement, King’s philosophy and practice of non-violent resistance, the immediate impact of the March on society at the time and the long-term significance of the March.
Objective
Through this lesson, you will come to understand the practice of civil disobedience in view of Cesar Chavez's birthday on March 31 (he would have been 93) and celebration of Rosa Parks life and the landmark act that she played a significant in passing. You also will examine civil disobedience's history and explore whether it is a viable form of protest in today's world.
Objective
To examine the process of amending the U.S. Constitution through the issue of marriage equality.
Overview
Through this lesson, the student will come to understand the legal battle over legalizing same-sex marriage and the process of amending the U.S. Constitution.
Lesson Overview: Through this lesson, the student will come to understand the significance of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through the study of primary documents. The student will also apply his/her research skills to the study of primary documents from various other key historical events.