Personal Statement

I believe that...
Theater serves its audience, not the structure that houses it.

Theater begins when you give the audience a reason to be interested.

Theater must constantly seek and meet new audiences to stay relevant.
Theater is unique in the entertainment world of the 21st century. You have to go to it and it is best experienced live and with a group. It is of its time and that time is unique and will never happen again.  Recording it does nothing to save the experience.

Theater should be available everywhere.

I craft shows that grow over time. From bringing fresh ideas and talent to the work. To giving the audience a glimpse of what is behind the scenes. So that they can play and explore, along with us.

Art Shows

“6 Feet”, A non-interactive interactive showing about social distancing. Marionette and collage. Elisabeth Jones Art Center, as part of The View From Here, 2020-21. Luís Managem, Portugal, co-artist.

“Fuuuuck... A Cathartic Adventure in 21st Century Theater”, Shadows, light, and paint on paper. Narrowcast over Zoom. Performed and written for the “Fussy Cloud Puppet Slam”, 2020

Directing

Bucks Rock Performing Arts Camp, New Milford, CT (2019 - Current)
Director and Head of Department for Puppetry and Animation

    • Baba Yaga, giant table top puppetry.
    • Shadow Stories, stories generated by the students with an anchor of "The Tell Tale Heart".

Teatro Calamari, Portland, OR (October 1990 - Current)

    • “So the Stars Above the Sea is Below”. Interactive Installation, Light Puppetry.
    • “Occasional Table of the Kalahari”, Table-top Puppetry.
    • "Shadow Tent", Interactive learning environment.
    • “In-Visible Cities”. Interactive, Lights and Shadow Puppetry.
    • “Last Voyage of the S. S. Sea Cow”. Shadow puppets on a walk-a-round stage,
    • "Drunk Puppet Night", Improv and Puppets of all types.
    • “Rock, Paper, Scissor”. Found word and Mathematical Progression, Shadow and Actors.
    • “The Three Sails”. Ensemble with Shadow Puppetry.
    • “Dreams of Electric Houses”. Music with shadow puppetry and actors.
    • “Waiting for a Train”. Ensemble, found object puppetry, non-verbal with music.

Tears of Joy Theatre, Portland, OR (1987- 92, 1997-2001, 2014 -18)

    • “Nightmare in My Closet". Ensemble, shadow and Bunraku. 1988, 89, 2018
    • “The Toad Prince”. Hand and rod puppetry. 2016,17
    • “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Bunraku, found object, streamers, with symphony.
    • “The Reluctant Dragon". Puppetry and live actors. 2015,16.
    • “When Animals Were People". Tabletop puppetry. 2014, 15.
    • “Alice in Wonderland". Adapted, physical theater, puppets. 1992,93, 96, 2004,15.
 “Baba Yaga". Bunraku puppetry, mask. 1988, 2000, 01
    • “The Jungle Book". Also adapted, Bunraku. 1991, 92, 2015,16. 90-91, 2017.
 “Petrushka". Puppetry and physical theater, with symphony. 1987, 90, 2001, 2017.

 

DragonMakers, Portland, OR.

    • The Monthly "Atelier Show" at the 908 Last Thursday House. A cabaret of puppetry in an smallish studio. Puppetry.
    • “Saint George and the Dragon” and “Three Snozz Circus”. Puppetry.

 

Fringe of Marin, Marin, CA.

    • “The Finger”. Actor theater.

 

Darkroom Productions, Vallejo, CA.

    • “Servant of Two Masters”. Adapted, Commedia del Arte (masks and actors).

 

Pretenders’ Playhouse, Napa, CA.

    • “A Christmas Carol”. Adapted for actor theater.

Media

"The Birch", wherever you see the Baby, puppeteer, Portland, Oregon.

"The Love That Would Not Die", A three part series, puppeteer and crew, Santa Fe, NM. We've also won a bunch of awards.

"Frank and Zed", Movie, puppeteer and crew, Portland, OR

"Tim and Puppet", 5 webisodes, Portland, OR

"Eco Beeps: Volume 1", DVD, puppeteer on multiple characters, Petaluma, CA

"Life is No Joke", Guard, Worried Minds, Los Angeles, CA

"Stepping on UP", Dieter, Heartland Media, San Francisco, CA. This also has educational awards tied to it, like the Golden Remmy.

"Judd’s Enormous Wine Show", Pisi, Judd’s Hill Winery, Napa, CA

"Baby Mozart", Puppetry and end of the credits chatter,  Baby Einstein Series, Atlanta, GA

"Smokey’s Visit", Storytelling Rock, Images In Motion, Santa Rosa, CA. For the USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C.

"Land of I", Various, Images In Motion, Santa Rosa, CA.

Awards

“Stepping On Up”, Golden Remi, CINE Golden Eagle, Gold Aurora, Pegasus Award of Distinction, Teacher’s Choice Award, Parent’s Choice Award, Communicator Award.

“Waiting For a Train”, Best Actors at the Stara Zagora Puppetry for Adults, Bulgaria.

“Land of I”, Emmy in Puppetry and Construction, but I was mostly along for the ride. The heavy lifting was Kamela Portuges of Images in Motion in Sonoma, California.

 

Theater – Staff

Teatro Calamari, Portland, OR. (October 1996 - Current)
• Artistic Director, 1996 - Ongoing.
• Touring the United States and all countries with the letter "B".

Tears of Joy Theater, Portland, OR.
As the Artistic Director, 2015 - 2018
• Hire and train touring performers.
• Directing 2 touring shows per year.
• Grant writing.
• Script writing.
As the Technical Director, September 1996 - July 2003.
• Managed 3 touring performances in 6 states and 4 main stage performances. Per season.
• Supply order, management, and communication.
• Implemented training courses in etiquette, repairs, and tech for performers.
• Directed 15 main stage and touring shows.

Darkroom Productions, Vallejo, CA. (2007 - 2015)
• Board Member
• Grant writer.
• Season review and play selection committee.

Event Production

International Children’s Festival 1991,92, Tears of Joy Theatre, Portland, OR.
• Hosting performers: PR events, home stays, logistics.
• Set-up and take down of event site.

Pacific Northwest Festival on the Edge, 1998 PNW Regional, Portland, OR
• Fringe Director. Responsible for filtering talent, MC and Stage Managing. Done in an unique turn-a-bout style.
• Guild Challenge. Creation and implementation of Challenge.

Domaine Chandon, from 1982 - 1993, Yountville, CA.
• Worked under Director of Programs doing all of the small jobs.
• Feeding the talent. Equipment - rental and purchase. People skills.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, OR. (1996 - 2003)
Exhibit Technician
• Installation, repair, de-installation and destruction of large scale exhibits.

Artist in Education, for Montana, Idaho, Washington. (September 1991-94)
• Designed and implemented workshops and residencies lasting one to several weeks in a variety of theater forms. Mask, puppetry, physical theater and video.

 

Useful Education

• Drak Theater, Prague, Czech Republic. Nonverbal vocabulary intensive at the Pacific Puppetry Institute.

• Dell’Arte School of Physical Theater, Blue Lake, CA. Mask, Puppetry, Commedia del' Arte, and Mime.

• Napa College, Napa, CA. Theater Arts, Technical Theater, and Video Media.

• Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA. Scene study and screenwriting for media.

• Nation Business School, Santa Rosa, CA. Media, Office and Business. Audio Editing and Writing for Commercials.