William A. “Bill” Smith is a playwright, theatre maker, author, and founder of Upstart Raven, LLC. A retired attorney, Navy veteran, and alumnus of The University of Houston and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Bill brings more than four decades of experience in writing, acting, directing, producing, law, and building practical resources for theatre educators.

He is the creator of The Drama Desk and author of The Drama Teacher’s Desk, a practical method for helping drama teachers manage the full life of a school theatre program: productions, students, auditions, calendars, permissions, budgets, safety notes, parent communication, student leadership, archives, and program continuity.

Bill’s central message is simple: school theatre teachers are not “just directing a show.” They are running a living educational program, often with professional-level responsibilities but school-level time, budget, staffing, and support. His sessions help theatre educators move critical work out of one exhausted adult’s head and into shared, repeatable practices that protect the art, the students, and the teacher.

Bill’s play Lox and Loaded was named Overall Winner of the 2023 International Playwriting Competition in Carlow, Ireland. His work blends practical theatre experience, clear organizational thinking, and a deep respect for the strange, funny, human work that happens behind the curtain.