Myrona L. Delaney

Biography

Myrona L. DeLaney, Ed.D., is Professor of Teaching and Head of Music Theatre in the Department of Drama at the University of California, Irvine. Since 1996, she has served as Director of the New York Satellite Program in Music Theatre, an immersive monthlong program that provides undergraduate students with professional training from Broadway artists in Manhattan. DeLaney received an Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration from UCLA and UC Irvine, an M.F.A. in Drama/Music Theatre from UC Irvine, and a B.F.A. in Vocal Performance from Ohio University.

DeLaney has directed and choreographed over 60 theatrical productions, including mainstage productions at UC Irvine such as "Legally Blonde," "Parade," "9 to 5, the Musical", and "Little Women, the Musical" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. She has commissioned and directed multiple new musical works, including original 15-minute musicals created specifically for the New York Satellite Program and presented in off-Broadway venues. Her work extends to professional venues including Carnegie Hall, where she directed and choreographed the concert "Once Upon a Dream" in 2014, which was later featured in a documentary film narrated by Richard Dreyfuss. DeLaney has also served as musical director and vocal director for numerous productions, including recording sessions at Capitol Records in Hollywood.

DeLaney's pedagogical work focuses on developing inclusive curricula and expanding access to music theatre training. She has redesigned core music theatre workshop courses to incorporate more diverse repertoire and accommodate students with disabilities, including deaf and autistic actors in the New York Satellite Program. She mentored Laine Matkin's honors thesis on transgender identity in music theatre, supporting research that continues at the doctoral level. DeLaney received the Dean's Honoree recognition at the 2025 UCI Celebration of Teaching and has served on numerous university committees, including the Council on Educational Policy and as Chair of the Unit 18 Ad Hoc Committee.

Education

• Ed.D. in Leadership and Administration, University of California, Los Angeles & University of California, Irvine, 2009
• M.F.A. in Drama / Music Theatre, University of California, Irvine, 1992
• B.F.A. in Vocal Performance, Ohio University, 1979

Distinctions

• Dean's Honoree, UCI Celebration of Teaching, 2025