Lawrence Carra (1909–March 30, 2006) was an American professor of drama at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
One of his high school teachers arranged for a full scholarship to Harvard University, where he studied biology.
At Yale he was a research assistant for Professor Alexander Dean on the first edition of his classic textbook The Fundamentals of Play Directing.
His directing students at CMU included William Ball, founder of American Conservatory Theater; Steven Bochco, creator of the hit TV series Hill Street Blues, LA Law, and NYPD Blue; Mel Shapiro, who co-wrote and directed the musical adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona on Broadway; and John-Michael Tebelak, creator of the popular musical Godspell.
He died at age 97 on March 30, 2006, at his Squirrel Hill home in Pittsburgh and is buried at Homewood Cemetery.