JEFF MILLS

3715 AVON LANE SANTA BARBARA CA 93105

PH O N E (8 0 5) 4 5 3- 8 2 4 2 • E-MAIL jmproboscis@gmail.com

 

 

OBJECTIVE

To create vital works of theater and facilitate the artistic, professional and personal transformation of students, clients, collaborators and spectators.

 

 

EDUCATION

 

MFA in Acting- National Theatre Conservatory Denver, CO 1991-1994

BA in Dramatic Art- UC Santa Barbara 1986-91, 2007

 

Licensed Massage Practitioner Brian Utting School of Massage Seattle, WA

Certificate of Completion for 950-hour course in massage theory, practice

and human anatomy (including cadaver anatomy.) Over 300 hours clinical

and externship experience with ethics and boundaries training.  Course culminated in national and state

licensure (WA.)  1997-1998

 

Guildford School of Acting and Dance Guildford, UK

Completed one year of a three-year conservatory acting course. Studies included acting for stage and camera, Shakespeare, singing, movement arts, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, theatre history etc.

 

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

 

2006 to Present

Continuing Lecturer

Department of Theater and Dance

University of California Santa Barbara

 

TEACHER

 

MOVEMENT INSTRUCTOR for three-year BFA conservatory program. Seven movement courses per year for Sophomores (THTR 10A, 10B and 10C) Juniors (THTR 110A, 110B, and 110C) and Seniors (THTR 110D.)  Progressive, three-year curriculum. Explorations include abstract movement improvisation, composition, rhythm studies, biomechanics, physical character work, movements of the natural world, full mask, half mask, puppetry, juggling, tumbling, acrobatics, yoga, tai-chi, red-nose clowning, physical comedy, solo and group movement projects.  Introduction and practice of methods of devising original works of “physical theater.”

 

STAGE COMBAT INSTRUCTOR, THTR 110E

Stage Violence for the Actor.  Introduction and practice in creating the illusion of violent actions for scenes and plays.  Hand to hand, quarterstaff, broadsword, rapier and dagger and small sword techniques are covered.

 

ACTING INSTRUCTOR, THTR 151S

Senior One Person Shows.  Practical solo performance techniques. Course culminates in fully produced evening of One-Person shows written and staged by the students. 

 

ACTING INSTRUCTOR, THTR 151B

Advanced acting course for Juniors in the BFA track.  Acting approaches to Shakespeare, specifically using text analysis to help make acting choices in Shakespeare scenes. 

 

ACTING INSTRUCTOR, THTR 5

Beginning acting class that satisfies University General Education requirement for the Arts. One class per year since 2012.

 

ACTING INSTRUCTOR, THTR 140

Advanced acting classes for non-BFA students.  Contemporary, Brecht and Shakespeare scene study.  One class per year.

 

DIRECTING INSTRUCTOR for one directing program course in 2008.

 

SUPERVISOR/INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD

Supervise and Train MA and PhD students to teach basic acting to beginning students.  These acting classes fulfill University General Education requirements.  Four to six students are supervised per quarter covering eight to twelve courses per quarter. 

 

DIRECTOR

 

Bloody Poetry by Howard Brenton- Spring 2015

Departmental Main Stage Production

 

The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman- Spring 2014

Departmental Main Stage Production

 

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl- Spring 2013

Departmental Main Stage Production.

 

Piezoelectric Love: The Half Life of Marie Curie- Spring 2012

World Premiere conceived, devised and co-written by Jeff Mills with Valerie Slitor. 

Departmental Main Stage Production. Co-production with Proboscis Theater Company 

 

The Trojan Women by Jean Paul Sartre- Winter 2010

Departmental Main Stage Production. 

 

Senior One Person Shows- Yearly, 2006 to present

Ten to twelve solo performances on the same bill each year, developed in individual processes with each student (THTR 151S)

 

Senior Movement Projects- Yearly, 2006 to present

Original works of physical theater devised by the Senior classes and myself.  This project falls under the (THTR 110D) class.

 

 

FACULTY ADVISOR/MENTOR

 

Mentor for one or two Senior Honors projects every year. Faculty advisor for Mask and Scroll, a student club that supports non-curricular theater events. Faculty advisor for UCSB Juggling Club, a student club that produces an annual International Juggling Festival on the UCSB Campus. All proceeds benefit the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center. I am highly involved in the production of this event that raises thousands of dollars every year.

 

MOVEMENT COACH/FIGHT DIRECTOR

 

Movement coach on many main-stage productions.  Created original fight choreography for The Talented Ones dir. Risa Brainen, Arabian Nights dir. Jeff Mills, Macbeth dir. Irwin Appel, Cloud Nine dir. Annie Torsigliari, Hamlet dir. Irwin Appel, Entangled dir. Risa Brainin, Woyzeck dir. Tom Whitaker, Plumfield Iraq dir. Risa Brainin

 

2015

Santa Barbara City College

    Stage Combat Instructor for three unit course in Theater Arts Department

      Fight Director- Dead Man’s Cell Phone directed by Katherine Laris

Ensemble Theater Company- Santa Barbara, CA

    Fight Director- Woyzeck directed by Jonathan Fox

   

 

2014

Mark Dendy Projects

    Fight Director- Dystopian Distractions

Created original fight choreography for world premiere modern dance piece at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara directed by Mark Dendy.  April 2014.

 

2010 and 2011

Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

    Actor, movement coach, choreographer and master class teacher for intern company-

Assisted company actors with period movement styles, taught interns in master classes choreographed dance number in Henry IV part 1 and some fight sequences in Three Musketeers.

 

2010 to Present

Proboscis Theater Company Santa Barbara, CA

     Founder, Artistic Director, Performer, Producer

 

PIEZOELECTRIC LOVE 1.0 Created and produced by Jeff Mills- an original Neo-Vaudeville/clown/mask/dance/storytelling event called at Center Stage Theater. 2010

PIEZOELECTRIC LOVE: The (half) Life of Marie Curie- Co-Production with UCSB Department of Theater and Dance

LA LA LA STRADA- Conceived, written and directed by Jeff Mills.  Mask and puppet theater piece that explores the world of Federico Fellini.  World premiere February 2015.

 

FELLINIFEST 2015:  Live Theater for Movie Lovers- Sole producer of a six day festival of plays about movies and the people who made them. Invited four different companies to perform at Center Stage Theater Santa Barbara, CA.   Artists from London, Hungary and Seattle brought to Santa Barbara.  Jeff Mills did all publicity, contracts, and production duties. 

 

LIVE FROM THE PIANO KITCHEN-Currently creating and producing a new, live radio variety program every month featuring original radio drama and storytelling, live music and interviews. Broadcast monthly on KCSB FM.

 

1999 to Present

BOXTALES Theatre Company Santa Barbara, CA

PERFORMER, CO-CREATOR

Collaborative member of BOXTALES core-company. Co-created ten original works for regional,

national and international touring. In the last five years performed with

BOXTALES at the Geffen Playhouse, the Getty Villa, Montalvo Arts

Center and the Washington Center for the Arts. Shows include

 

Listen Up

Mitos y Cuentos

Jambo Watoto

Waters of the Earth

Leyendas de Duende

The Odyssey

The Ages

 

DIRECTOR

OM: An Indian Tale of Good and Evil

A World Premiere production devised by the company and written by Allie Menzimer. Co-devised by the company and Jeff Mills.  Based on the Indian epic the Ramayana.  Premiered at the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara in 2009. Co-production with UCSB Department of Theater and Dance.  

Got Homer? Tales of Odysseus

A World Premiere condensed version of the Odyssey designed to tour to elementary and jr. high schools throughout California. 2005

 

COMMUNITY PROJECT DIRECTOR- 2008

The Ages

A multigenerational theater project which brought together community

Elders and elementary school students to create plays based on the life

stories of the former. Three-month after-school program.

 

CREATOR/PRODUCER/PERFORMER- 2007

Festival of Fools

A theater festival celebrating mime, clown and physical theater. Dedicated

to Marcel Marceau, the week long festival featured dozens of performers

including Robert Shields and James Donlon.

 

TEACHER

Numerous master classes, workshops, residencies, camps

and lecture demonstrations which accompany award winning productions

and teach our unique method of theatre creation. Recently taught

Movement and Ritual Theatre Workshop at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

                                   

MANAGING DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/ARTS ADMINISTRATOR- 2000-2006,

charge of scheduling, bookkeeping, marketing, budget creation, non-profit board

management, tour management, data base management, contracts, grant

writing, production management, and payroll management.

 

2005 to 2006

Lobero Theater Foundation, Santa Barbara CA

Community Outreach Coordinator

 

 

2002 to 2008

Shakespeare Santa Barbara

Associate Artist

2002 Midsummer Night’s Dream-Actor/Coach/Musician

2003 Taming of the Shrew- Actor/Musical Director/Sound Designer

2004 Twelfth Nigh- Director/Musical Director/Sound Designer

2006 As You Like It- Actor/Musical Director-Composer/Sound Designer

2008 Much Ado About Nothing- Director/Musical Director/Sound Designer

 

1998 to Present

Private Massage Therapy Practice

Independent contractor in home office and at Spa Ojai (2000-2001)

2000 to present Movement Coach/Teacher

 

Freelance Acting Teacher and Movement Coach

Independent contractor at home studio and various sites in Santa Barbara and

Los Angeles. Personal Movement/Voice coach for professional actors

Movement residency at Dos Pueblos High School 2003 and 2004 

Lobero Circus Camp juggling and movement teacher 2002 and 2003

Goleta Valley Jr. High residency fall 2000

 Elementary school drama teacher at Montessori Center School (1999-

2000) and San Roque School (2004.)

 

1994-1996

Door Shakespeare Bailey’s Harbor, WI

Co-Founder-Artistic Director, Director, Movement Coach and Actor for two

seasons.

 

 

1986 to Present 

Professional Actor- See attached acting resume

Worked in acting companies nation-wide including:

California: Shakespeare Santa Cruz, PCPA Theatre Fest, Shakespeare Santa

Barbara, Santa Rosa Summer Repertory Theater Colorado: Denver Center

Theatre Company, Colorado Shakespeare Festival Minnesota/Wisconsin:

Theatre de la Juene Lune, American Folklore Theater, Door Shakespeare,

Kosanovich Dance Theatre, Theatre Eggplant, Washington: AHA! Theatre,

Seattle Children’s Theatre, Wooden O Theatre.

Recently appeared as Tristan in Bill Viola’s film that accompanied Peter

Sellars’ production of Tristan and Isolde at the Opera National de Paris.

__________________________________________________________

CURRENT BOARDS AND ASSOCIATIONS

Association for Theater in Higher Education- member

Association of Theater Movement Educators- member

Network of Ensemble Theaters- member

Elements Theater Collective- Advisory Board Member

American Federation of Teachers, University Council Executive Board Member

 

SKILLS

Tai Chi, Yoga, Chi Kung, modern dance, ballet, flying trapeze, circus tissue,

juggling, movement improvisation, acrobatics, clowning; tango, swing, latin,

medieval dance; mask work, puppetry, stage combat; Laban, Lecoq, Decrue,

Donlon, Yakim, Pilates, Alexander, Feldenkries techniques; sound design,

singer/songwriter, guitar, mandolin; African, Cuban, Indian, European

percussion.

 

REFERENCES

References and letters of recommendation available on request.

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