David Jay Diamond - Transformative theatre coach
- Isobel Arden
- 16 hours ago
- 6 min read
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Meet David Jay Diamond, a life of theatre, coaching and programming.
David J. Diamond has spent over 25 years at the intersection of theatre, coaching, and community-focused change. With a background rooted in directing and an eye always on the broader impact of the arts, he has carved out a distinctive path as a mentor, organiser, producer, and cultural strategist.
Whether fostering artistic growth in underrepresented communities, steering international collaborations, or guiding individuals through transformative career crossroads, Diamond’s work reflects an enduring commitment to connection—between people, ideas, and purpose.
David and Mark dived into David's work in theatre and performance then created David's fantasy cultural year. Watch the video above or listen on Spotify and SoundCloud to get to know David.
David Diamond’s professional journey began under the lights—literally. Trained initially as a stage director, he got his start working as a lighting and sound technician in New York’s nightclub scene. This hands-on technical foundation gave way to administrative and leadership roles, first with organisations such as the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT), and later, more prominently, with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF).
From 1991 to 2000, Diamond served as Executive Director of SDCF. In this role, he spearheaded the expansion of fellowships, launched training initiatives for emerging classical directors, and co-edited the Stage Directors Handbook. He also conducted interviews with notable artists including Susan Stroman and Mark Lamos, helping to document and disseminate the craft of directing in real time. His tenure was marked by a strategic doubling of both staff and services, achieved through attentive fundraising and a collaborative approach to leadership.
Before that, from 1985 to 1990, Diamond was Managing Director of The Barrow Group Theatre Company. Under his management, the company earned a Drama Desk Award for Best Off-Off Broadway Theatre. His tenure there saw the cultivation of artists who would go on to national recognition, as well as the design and delivery of arts programming for at-risk youth.
Alongside administrative work, Diamond remained deeply involved in international theatre development. In 2001, he co-founded and began curating the La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors in Italy—a globally respected summer intensive that brings together directors from around the world. He later helped establish the La MaMa Playwrights Retreat and co-produce the La MaMa Spoleto Open Festival. These programs, many now decades in operation, have created rare opportunities for intercultural artistic exchange.
That same year, 2001, marked the formal launch of Diamond’s coaching practice. His work as a transformative coach focuses on aligning artists’ internal values with their creative and professional lives. Drawing from his own broad experience, he has helped countless individuals find clarity in their artistic path. Over two decades, his workshops and coaching sessions have reached students and professionals alike—offering tools not only for career advancement, but for personal evolution.
In academia, Diamond has taught and lectured at a wide array of institutions, including Columbia University, Pace University, and Yale School of Drama, with a speciality in guiding students through the transition from training to professional life. He’s delivered his "Directing Your Theatre Career" workshops at more than 30 universities across the US and UK.
Internationally, his projects include work with the US Army Entertainment Division in Europe, a Fulbright residency with Dah Teatar in Belgrade, and programming for the Sundance Institute in East Africa. He’s spoken at international theatre congresses in Spain and Armenia, and supported cultural exchange initiatives in Russia, Iraqi Kurdistan, and the UK.
Diamond’s voice extends into publishing as well, with essays and editorials in American Theatre Magazine, HowlRound, and The Drama Review. His editorial contributions also include co-editing the second edition of the Stage Directors Handbook and ongoing commentary for the Journal for Stage Directors and Choreographers during his SDCF years.
Committed to the idea that the arts can catalyse social change, he has also worked with Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, Theatre Without Borders, and the Acting Together Project. In these roles, he has coached, produced, and facilitated conversations focused on conflict, justice, and community.
During the pandemic shutdown, Diamond launched Conversations for Theatre Artists, a series of online dialogues that kept global theatre-makers connected at a time of physical distance. The free offering became a space for reflection and visioning in a disoriented world.
Diamond holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he minored in theatre directing. He later earned an M.A. in Performance Studies from NYU and undertook additional study at University College London. His coaching training includes advanced certification from Michael Neill’s SuperCoach Academy and other programs focused on leadership and personal development.
He has received honours including the Theatre of the Oppressed NYC’s Community Leader Award (twice), the Barrow Group Award for service to the arts, and a Manhattan Borough Proclamation of “David Diamond Appreciation Day” for his work on Manhattan Community Board 5. As a board member, consultant, and committee member for a range of cultural institutions, he has continued to advise and influence policy around the role of the arts in civic life.
Today, David J. Diamond remains a steady presence in the lives of artists, students, and changemakers—inviting them, through theatre and dialogue, to not only imagine new futures, but to actively design them.
David Jay Diamond's Fantasy Cultural Year
With a magic wand in one hand, a time machine warmed up, and a Star Trek transporter on standby, Mark sat down with visual artist David J. Diamond to imagine his dream cultural year. You can watch the conversation in full above—or tune in via Spotify and SoundCloud below.
What followed was a creative, witty, and globe-trotting journey across art, music and food.
Italian Memories and Artistic Foundations
David and Mark began their journey by reminiscing about their favourite building: the La MaMa Umbria International artist residence in Spoleto, Italy. The conversation drifted into the warm memories of time spent there, a place full of creative energy and serenity. Mark asked David to imagine they were back, Aperol Spritz in hand, with a copy of The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer resting nearby. A perfect pairing of place, drink, and story.
A Round-the-World Acting Retreat Adventure
Inspired by wanderlust, David and Mark imagined a global research trip to discover the finest acting retreats. Italy would be the natural starting point, before heading through Europe, South America, Africa, and beyond. Mark playfully suggested David could take his private plane for the journey. With that, they settled on a first destination: Avignon, France.
Time Machines, Dance Legends, and Colombian Colours
Once in Avignon, they envisioned a traditional home and a transcendent dance performance—Rudolf Nureyev and Carla Fracci dancing Don Quixote. From there, the journey would leap across time and continents to Bogotá, Colombia, to explore its vibrant local arts scene. With a touch of whimsy, Mark introduced a “Magic Wand” and “Time Machine” to make the impossible travel logistics simply disappear.
Sports, Basquiat, and Sonic Limits
Their conversation turned to the blurred lines between sport and performance. Mark admitted struggling to follow the speed of hockey, while David was intrigued by the thought of experiencing art through new lenses. A digitally enhanced gallery in Seoul, where visitors wear VR headsets to explore 3D works, especially Basquiat’s, caught his imagination. When challenged to pick one music genre to listen to for a year, David leaned into jazz, with Billie Holiday as his chosen muse.
Curating the Ultimate Cultural Week
Together, they curated a dream cultural itinerary:
Monday: A historic pop concert—David chose The Beatles, of course.
Tuesday: A Shakespeare play he’s never seen.
Wednesday: Opening night of Funny Girl, with Barbra Streisand in full command.
Thursday: Bizet’s Carmen, a shared favourite.
Friday: A film screening of All About Eve—one of David’s must-sees that Mark had yet to experience.
It was a week steeped in legend, drama, and time-travelling delight.
Flights of Fancy and Literary Lunches
The journey ended with yet another imaginative leap—lunch in Toronto with Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens. Over crisp wine and spirited conversation, they discussed a forthcoming book on global theatre and drama retreats. With his musical restrictions lifted, David reaffirmed his love of jazz. And with that, their journey closed—at least for now—with dreams of travel, storytelling, and shared artistic quests.
Explore some of David Diamond's work.
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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