Ray Paolino heads the MFA acting program and is Director of Theatre at the University of Georgia, where he is an associate professor. He received his MFA in Directing  at Indiana University. He teaches both acting and directing courses at all levels.

As an actor in New York City, Paolino played the lead in the world premiere of Israel Horovitz’s TURNSTYLE at The Cubiculo and appeared with Geraldine Page and Rip Torn  in  HAMLET at the Sanctuary Theatre. He has performed most recently as George in Edward Albee’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta.  He has directed premieres and staged readings of new scripts for Theatre Matrix in New York City, Jordi Productions in Yorktown Heights NY, the Bloomington Playwrights’ Project in Indiana, the Georgia Repertory Theatre and at the Universities of Oklahoma, Georgia and Indiana. He currently serves as Playwriting Chair for Region IV  of  the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF) and founded the New Play Contest for the Southwestern Theatre & Film Association, where he served as Chair of New Plays. A member of Actors’ Equity (AEA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Ray has performed onstage throughout New York, the Northeast and Midwest. He appeared in the films RAGING BULL, MANHATTAN, KING OF COMEDY and others. In addition to new plays, his expertise includes a reduced form of producing Shakespeare, resulting in stripped down, bare-bones productions that focus on text,  actor behavior and fluid staging. Students of his have appeared on Law and Order, ER, The West Wing, Friends, Married with Children, All My Children, The George Carlin Show and many other films and stages. Among his awards are the Bronze Medallion from the Kennedy Center, the Outstanding Teacher Award from the SGA at UGA, selection to UGA’s Senior Teaching Fellows and the UGA Teaching Academy.