Saul Elkin earned a B.A. in English from Columbia College (1953), an M.F.A. in Acting and Directing from Columbia University (1963) and a Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University (1969). In 1969, he joined the faculty of the University at Buffalo's Department of Theatre and Dance as an associate professor and was promoted to professor in 1977. In 1977, Elkin founded Shakespeare in the Park, originally meant as a summer apprenticeship program for UB theatre students. He served as chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance twice (1976-1985 and 1988-1991) and interim chair in 2004. In 1973 he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching and was named SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in 1996.