Alvin (Al) Goldfarb is president emeritus and professor emeritus of theatre at Western Illinois University. Dr. Goldfarb also served as provost, dean, department chair, and professor of theatre during his 25-year tenure at Illinois State University as well as managing director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He holds a PhD in theatre history from the City University of New York, a master’s degree from Hunter College of CUNY, and a bachelor's degree from Queens College of CUNY.

Dr. Goldfarb is the coauthor of Living Theatre, Theatre: The Lively Art, and The Theatre Experience with Edwin Wilson and Megan Geigner, as well as coeditor of The Anthology of Living Theatre with Edwin Wilson. He is also the coeditor, with Rebecca Rovit, of Theatrical Performance during the Holocaust: Texts, Documents, Memoirs, which was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Currently, he serves as the lead scholar for the online Holocaust Theatre Catalog, which is hosted at the University of Miami’s Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies. His interest in this area was inspired by his parents, who were survivors of the Holocaust. Dr. Goldfarb has published numerous articles and reviews in scholarly journals and anthologies and is currently a member of the board of Congo Square Theatre in Chicago.