Bill’s love of theater spawned when he was a student at Derryfield. His favorite teacher, Jack Coogan, started a drama club at Derryfield and encouraged Partlan to join. That decision revealed his future career pathway—though he didn’t realize it at the time.
After graduating from Derryfield, Partlan attended Dartmouth College. His original plan was to study psychology and perform in theater productions as electives. The first semester he landed a role in the freshman play, shortly after, Partlan switched majors, opting to pursue a degree in Performing Arts.
Partlan attended the National Playwrights Conference during college summer breaks. It was at the Conference that Partlan was introduced to Lloyd Richards, who quickly became a significant mentor and source of inspiration.
During the summer following his junior year, Partlan stage-managed a play in New York City. His senior year he received a call from the National Playwrights Conference, which shared that the Royal Shakespeare Company was seeking a stage manager for a production that featured American actors. Partlan signed on and spent seven months in England. He then followed the production back to New York City and wrote his thesis about his experience.
After Dartmouth, Partlan pursued an M.A. at the University of Minnesota and later moved back to New Hampshire to work in summer stock theater. His next adventure led him to New York City where he reconnected with his mentor, Lloyd Richards who offered him a job as production manager and casting director for ABC Television’s playhouse.
Partlan went on to become a freelance director and served as an artistic director at the National Playwrights Conference. Partlan is presently the theater director at Arizona State University. What started out as a passion pursuit at Derryfield transformed into a lifetime career—one which has been both rewarding and soul-satisfying.
“Jack Coogan and Derryfield opened my mind to the arts and to theater. It taught me that theater can have an impact on the world. It has the ability to put the audience into someone else’s shoes and feel what they feel. I think that is very important and needed in today’s world.”