LaVahn Hoh is an expert on technical theater, special effects, drama and the circus. Since 1969 he has been a professor of drama in the Department of Drama at the University of Virginia.^[1] He was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he majored in speech and drama. He later received his Master of Fine Arts in drama from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.^[2]

This biographical article is written like a résumé. (March 2023)

Hoh has spent more than 40 years researching the history of the circus. He has also worked as the archivist for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and has appeared in several films including a two-hour documentary commemorating the history of the American circus. He also appeared on an A&E special that investigated the lives of Dare Devils and on A&E's biography of The Flying Wallendas.^[3] Publications such as People and USA Today have profiled his work.^[4] Beyond his work with the circus, Hoh also wrote an influential text on special effects while he was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2009 Hoh received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Theatre Association.^[5] In 2011, he taught the only accredited class on circus history in America, and was the co-author of the book Step Right Up! The Adventure of Circus in America.^[6]