ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION

Curriculum Vitae
Directing
Sound
Teaching
Conferences
Writing
Affiliations
Awards

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CYNTHIA CROOT


Education


Columbia University – Master of Fine Arts – Theatre Directing – New York, NY (1999/2001)
Coursework in classical and experimental texts, theatre history, dramatic theory and criticism, artistic collaboration, set design, theatrical adaptation, playwriting, and two years training in the Viewpoints. Thesis: adapted and directed “Nightwood” from the novel by Djuna Barnes. Professors: Arnold Aronson, Anne Bogart, Elinor Fuchs, James Leverett, Kristin Linklater, Andrei Serban, Robert Woodruff.

SITI Company – Saratoga Springs, NY (1998)
Advanced instruction in the Viewpoints and Suzuki methods of actor training.

Roosevelt University – Chicago, IL (1993)
Boal in Rehearsal: training in Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.

Hedwig Dance – Chicago, IL (1993)
Mapping Performance: writing and staging original solo performance.

Washington College – Bachelor of Arts – Drama – Chestertown, MD (1991)
Graduated cum laude. Member of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, Dean's List, Washington College Scholar and MD General State Scholarship recipient. Honors for design and direction of senior thesis: Jean Genet's The Maids.

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Directing Credits


2008

Apparition by Anne Washburn. Whitman College, WA


2007

The Ghost Sonata by August Strindberg. Whitman College, WA

The Millay Sisters by Margi Sharp, Deborah Phillips, Rachel Murdy and Cynthia Croot - an ensemble created text drawn from the letters and poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Don't Tell Mama Cabaret, NYC

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder, CO


2006

The Three Hagi Sisters by Ai Nagai, translated by Loren Edelson. Reading at the Japan Society, NYC

Scenes from the Last Five Years - (an agit-prop hip-hop musical revue) by Tommy Smith. THAW Collaboration Weekend, part of the Culture Project's Impact Festival, Barch College, Nagelberg Theatre, NYC

Sky/Nikita Mitskevitch by Andrei Rui. From an Evening of Belarussian Plays, Curated by Aaron Landsman, part of the Culture Project's Impact Festival, Baruch College Nagelberg Theatre, NYC

Cold by Liz Blocker and the Present Tense Theatre Ensemble. Bank Street Theatre, NYC


2005

Reading List by Susan Miller. Vital Signs Festival, produced by Vital Theater, McGinn Cazale, NYC

The Details of Silence by Nathalie Handal. In cooperation with Nibras and the Mahrajan Al-Fan Festival of Arab Arts, Symphony Space, NYC

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare. Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder, CO

Softcops by Caryl Churchill. Staged reading for the International Foucault Society, The New School, NYC

Empty Chalices by Judy Veramendi. Reading for Urban Stages, NYC

Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind. Harper Joy Theater, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA


2004

A Handful of Earth, a Teacup Full of Vodka by Cynthia Croot, from the short stories of Anton Chekhov. Chekhov Now Festival, Connelly Theatre, NYC

War Bride by Cynthia Croot. Bric-a-Brac Series, Brick Theatre, Brooklyn NY

Isadora… No Apologies text by Andrew Frank. Conceived and created by Lori Belilove. Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, Symphony Space, NYC. Reprised at Mills College, Berkeley, CA

Ubu Roi by Alfred Jarry. Adapted by Christopher Carter Sanderson. Staged reading conceived and performed in tandem with THAW (Theaters Against War) protests worldwide, Brick Theatre, Brooklyn, NY


2003

The Macbeth Project drawn from Macbeth by William Shakespeare. El Rayo Misterioso Experimenta, Rosario, Argentina

The Designated Mourner by Wallace Shawn. Reading to benefit THAW, Brick Theatre, Brooklyn, NY


2002

Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, translation by Paul Schmidt. Chekhov Now Festival, Connelly Theatre, New York, NY. Run extended at the Brick Theatre, Brooklyn, NY

The Grand Design by Susan Miller. Featuring Marsha Mason and Scott Cohen. World premiere, part of “Brave New World: American Theatre Responds to 9/11” Town Hall, NYC

Venus by Suzan-Lori Parks. The Windybrow Theater, Johannesburg, South Africa; The Saartjie Baartman Women’s Center, Cape Town, South Africa

Venus bySuzan-Lori Parks. Staged reading featuring Tim Robbins, Kathleen Chalfant and Joe Morton (to benefit the Kazbah Project). Joseph Papp Public Theatre, NYC

Act of the Possessed byHaroldo de Campos. Brazil, Body and Soul, Guggenheim Museum, NYC


2001

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, translation by Paul Schmidt. Chekhov Now, Connelly Theatre, NYC

My Left Breast (Associate Director) written and performed by Susan Miller. Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Buzz adapted by Cynthia Croot and Sophia Skiles, from The War Lover by John Hersey. Ontological-Hysteric Theatre, New York, NY. Reprised at PS122, NYC


2000

Trust bySteven Dietz. Blue Sphere East, Raw Space, NYC

Slangrivier by Nina Steiger. New York International Fringe Festival, NYC

Mata Hari by Cynthia Croot, Rebecca Herman, Alvaro Mendoza and Aida Croal. La Mama First Street Theatre, NYC

The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare. Perseverance Theatre, Juneau, AK


1999

Nightwood adapted byCynthia Croot, from the novel by Djuna Barnes. Horace Mann, Columbia U., NYC


1998

Machinal by Sophie Treadwell. Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Nightwatch adapted by Cynthia Croot and ensemble, from the novel “Nightwood” by Djuna Barnes. New York International Fringe Festival, NYC

Dynamo by Eugene O’Neill. HERE Arts Center, NYC

Hamlet and Ophelia drawn from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Columbia University, NYC

Chance - one in an evening of 12 poems written and selected by Mac Wellman. The House of Candles, NYC


1997

Culture of Desire (Assistant Director to Anne Bogart). SITI Company, City Theatre, Pittsburg, PA

Freak Show by Tara Knel. Adobe Theatre Company, Ohio Theatre, NYC

Daddy by Kenneth Finkle. Horace Mann Theater, Columbia University, NYC


1996

Swans by Kara Manning. Horace Mann Theater, Columbia University, NYC

Wolf at the Door by Eric Ehn. Café Voltaire, Chicago, IL

In Candlelight and Quiet by Gibson and Moore. Straw Dog, Chicago, IL


1995

Offending the Audience by Peter Handke. Bailiwick Theatre, Chicago, IL

The Dream... by Scott Modesto. Emerging Artists Project, Cafe Voltaire, Chicago, IL


1994

White Money by Julie Jensen. Splitting Image, Theatre Project, Baltimore, MD

Cabaret Verboten by Jeremy Lawrence. Axis Theater, Baltimore, MD

Encounter on a Train by Tiesa Smith. YPT Festival, Center Stage, Baltimore, MD


1993

Largo Desolato by Vaclav Havel. Axis Theater, Baltimore, MD

The Devil’s Takeover by Omar Khan. YPT Festival, Center Stage, Baltimore, MD

The Essential/Sacrifice/Women/Love by Denise Gantt. BICC Gallery, Baltimore, MD


1992

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. NST at Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD


1991

The Maids by Jean Genet. Tawes Theatre, Washington College, Chestertown MD

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Sound and Radio Credits


2006

Fear and Misery in the Third Reich, Bertolt Brecht, with a series of curtain speeches by Sybille Pearson, Gene Ruffini, Kia Corthron and Tony Kushner. Produced and directed by Cynthia Croot for THAW (Theaters Against War) to mark the anniversary of 9/11 and the continued War in Iraq, WBAI Radio, NYC.

Anonymous Urban Renewal, an ongoing project involving the anonymous exchange of aural and visual communication through the mail. The first audio exchanges were recorded in 1999.


1999

Air Traffic conceived and created by Cynthia Croot. A 4-episode radio program exploring the unique experiences of Alaskans. Texts by Richard Foreman, Kenneth Koch, Sherwood Anderson, Peter Cook, Sherman Alexie, Jack Cannon, Carol Lucci Wisner, Richard Housden, Gerry Sharp, Benjamin Dean, Thomas King. Performed live at Perseverance Theatre; aired statewide on KTOO FM, Douglas, AK.


1998

Kiki und der Baker by Kurt Nickisch, Caterina Klusemann. Radio direction in Klagenfurt, Austria.


1997

Number 10, Samuel Beckett. Manhattan Theatre of the Ear, WKCR FM, New York, NY
He’s Left, Harold Pinter. Manhattan Theatre of the Ear, WKCR FM, New York, NY
Night, Harold Pinter. Manhattan Theatre of the Ear, WKCR FM, New York, NY

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Teaching Experience

Higher Education

Whitman College – WA (2007-present)
Assistant Professor of Theatre (tenure-track). Courses include Acting; Voice and Movement; Theater, Pedagogy and Place (emphasis on the works of Boal and Friere); Viewpoints and Composition; Performance Theory; Arab Theatre Studies.

Washington College – Chestertown, MD (2000-2006)
Viewpoints instructor in recurring workshops for undergraduate theatre students and professors. An improvisational movement system for actors, choreographers and directors, Viewpoints training was developed by Anne Bogart. Techniques increase sensitivity to space and time and forge a deep ensemble connection.

Whitman College – Walla Walla, WA (Spring, 2005)
Guest artist and director of Franz Wedekind’s Spring Awakening. Active participation in formal and informal discussions with students, drama department performance events and residential life.

Bucknell University – Lewisburg, PA (October, 2001)
Guest artist with Susan Miller, hosted by the Women’s Studies Department. Staged Miller’s Obie Award-winning play My Left Breast to mark breast cancer awareness month. Informal and formal talks with students and community.

Bryn Mawr College – Bryn Mawr, PA (Fall, 1998)
Associate Professor and Guest Director of Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal. Production hours constituted coursework – students received evaluation and college credit for participation. In addition to directing the main stage production, designed curriculum and taught Acting I, incorporating Viewpoints, Boleslavsky and Stanislavski techniques. Integrally involved in student counseling, mentoring, and campus activities.


Teacher and Artist Training

Peace Education Center, Teachers College, Columbia University – New York, NY (2005)
Guest Instructor for the Afghan Institute for Learning, founded by Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sakena Yacoobi. Explored theatre skills and conflict resolution training for use in schools in Afghanistan.

International Institute for Peace Educators, – Rhodes, Greece (July – August, 2005)
Guest artist, team-taught workshop entitled Representation and Perception in War Time - Close-up: Syria with Nathalie Applewhite. Provided teacher-training and lesson plans exploring the influence of art and the media on international conflict.

Theaters Against War / Hunter College – New York, NY (April, 2004)
Helped facilitate Resistance 101: a Creative Peace and Justice Teach-In including speakers, panel discussions, and performances from prominent civil libertarians, academics, journalists, students, and theater activists.

The Kazbah Project / Columbia University – New York, NY (September, 2001)
Researcher and instructor for Imagining Peace. Helped train teaching artists during the first few weeks after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Efforts were aimed at challenging stereotypes and discouraging ethnic violence.

Perseverance Theater – Juneau, AK (1998)
Guest director of John Guare’s House of Blue Leaves and instructor of eight-week Viewpoints Training Intensive team-taught with Peter DuBois.


Secondary Education

International Rescue Committee Refugee Resettlement Program – Bronx, NY (upcoming 2006)
Guest instructor in after-school theatre program with refugees aged 14- 19 from Sierra Leone, Uganda and Guinea. Curriculum based on social theatre model (Augusto Boal) incorporating personal narratives and group discussions, as well as movement training, public speaking and English vocabulary skills.

New York University – New York, NY (November, 2003)
Provided adjudication and commentary for the New York Student Shakespeare Festival

East Harlem Middle School at Exodus House – New York, NY (2002-2003)
Designed curriculum and team-taught collaborative playwriting and acting classes. Spring 2003 semester culminated in a performance of the student-created play Destination Station.

Park School – Brooklandville, MD (1992-1993)
Taught visual and performing arts and creative writing during two summer sessions at progressive, private Baltimore Middle School. Adapted and co-directed 80-student theatre production drawn from world myths and folk tales.

Folger Shakespeare Theatre – Washington, D.C. (1992)
Shakespeare in the Schools Instructor. Team-taught the Folger curriculum in Baltimore City Middle Schools with Center Stage Theatre Education and Outreach staff.

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Conferences and Lectures

NoPassport – Dreaming the Americas – CUNY, New York, NY (upcoming – February, 2007)
Presenting BUZZ, an adaptation of John Hersey’s novel The War Lover created with actress Sophia Skiles, and moderating session entitled “Intercultural Illuminations: Practice and Performance.” Panelists include Young Jean Lee, Erik Ehn, Ruth Margraff, Chay Yew, and John Jesurun.

Harper College – Chicago IL (February, 2005)
Guest lecturer discussing theatre and cultural life in Syria, part of Harper College’s Symposium “Syria: What’s Next?”

Amnesty International Firefly Project – New York, NY (January, 2005)
Helped organize conference at OfficeOps for AI Firefly’s AND SO FORTH: a Post-Inaugural Assembly. Panelists and participants included several OBIE award-winning theater companies.

Damascus University – Damascus, Syria (December, 2004)
Guest artist discussing contemporary U.S. actor training practices at the Higher Institute for Theatrical Studies.

Radical Alternative Theatre International Conference – Argentina (December, 2003)
Helped facilitate R.A.T. conference at the El Rayo International Experimenta (Roasario, Argentina). Co-curated theatre presentations, taught bi-lingual Viewpoints workshop (Spanish/English) and collaborated with the Wilaldea Theatre Collective (Buenos Aires, Argentina) during conference designed to promote exchange of training methods between U.S. and Latin American artists.

Columbia University, School of the Arts. Theatre Division– New York, NY (September, 2002)
Guest speaker with Bridgit Evans of the Kazbah Project, discussed international theatre collaboration in South Africa and the challenges of intercultural dialogue. Hosted by Kristin Linklater.

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Written Work


Academic and Professional

A Letter from Syria. Theater Magazine, Johns Hopkins University Press, winter 2006.

Nightwood Graduate Thesis, detailing the creative process of novel-to-stage adaptation, Columbia University, 2001.


Playwriting

A Teacup Full of Vodka full length, from six short stories by Anton Chekhov. Commissioned by the Chekhov Now Festival, Connelly Theater, New York, NY, 2004. Selected for production by the International Chekhov Festival in Warsaw, Poland, 2006.

War Bride one act, Bric-a-Brac Series, Brick Theater, Brooklyn NY, 2004.

Buzz one act, from the novel “The War Lover” by John Hersey, adapted by Cynthia Croot and Sophia Skiles. Ontological Hysteric Theatre, New York, NY, 2001. Reprised at PS 122, New York, NY, 2001.

Nightwood full length, adapted from the novel “Nightwood” by Djuna Barnes. Horace Mann Theatre, New York, NY, 1999.

Hamlet and Ophelia one act, from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Shapiro Theater, Columbia University, New York, NY 1998.

Breathe one act. Shapiro Theater, Columbia University, New York, NY 1997.

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Related Experience and Affiliations

NoPassport Coalition – based in New York, NY and Los Angles, CA (2005-present)
Member of pan-American theatre coalition with an emphasis on US Latina/o and Latin American writing. Upcoming conference Dreaming the Americas/ Diversity and Difference in Performance at METC, the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, NY, February 2007.

Center for International Conflict Resolution – Columbia U. NY / Damascus, Syria (2004 – present)
Represented emerging U.S. artists in four-person delegation to Syria funded by the U.S. State Department. 2004-2005 exchange introduced U.S. team to University of Damascus colleagues during several weeks of residency in both nations. Met with such luminaries as Noam Chomsky, the U.S. and Syrian Ambassadors, religious leaders, dignitaries, academics and artists from both countries. Work ongoing, with aim to improve relations through innovative use of media and the arts. Currently pursuing an Arab-American drama exchange in cooperation with the Americana Project at the University of Michigan, and pursuing funding to complete documentary film about contemporary Syria, directed by Nathalie Applewhite.

Theaters Against War – based in New York, NY (2003 – present)
Lead organizer of grassroots collective with over two hundred member theaters and over 1,000 listserv participants worldwide. Activities include youth outreach initiatives, monthly pro-peace cabarets, teach-ins, post-show discussions, march contingents, calls to action and town hall meetings intended to be replicated in local communities to promote engaged citizenship and artist-driven activism. Recipient of Village Voice OBIE Grant (2004). Recent projects: the THAW Collaboration Weekend (co-produced by the Culture Project, NYC), and THAW on the AIR – a radio series showcasing experimental, politically engaged theatre artists on WBAI Radio, New York, NY.

The Kazbah Project – New York, NY / South Africa (2001 – present)
Artistic Associate and Director of Venus, by Suzan-Lori Parks. Kazbah first produced Venus as a reading at the Pubic Theatre, NYC with Academy Award-winner Tim Robbins, Tony Award-nominee Kathleen Chalfant and film and television actor Joe Morton. Subsequent research residency in Mafikeng, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa funded by Arts International. Full production of Venus with local South African cast members premiered at the Windybrow Theatre in Johannesburg, 2002, coinciding with the repatriation of the remains of Saartjie Baartman (a.k.a. the Venus Hottentot) from the Musee del l’Homme in Paris to her homeland. Final performance in South Africa at the Saartjie Baartman Women’s Center on National Women’s Day, concurrent with her burial in the Eastern Cape. Upcoming: Off-Broadway revival of Venus at Aaron Davis Hall in new space “The Gatehouse,” Harlem, NYC, Spring 2007.

Tinderbox Theatre Group – New York, NY (2001 – present)
Founder and Artistic Director of experimental New York theatre company dedicated to visually sumptuous, socially relevant, intelligent theatre. After a three-year hiatus, Tinderbox returned to producing in 2006 with Sky/Nikita Mitzkevich, from an evening of Belarusian plays hosted by Tom Stoppard (Culture Project’s IMPACT Festival, NYC, 2006), and The Three Hagi Sisters – an adaptation of Chekhov’s Three Sisters set in contemporary Japan (Japan Society, NYC, 2006).

Amnesty International Firefly Project – New York, NY (2003 – present)
Member of NYC-based activist collective working to support the exchange of ideas, strategies, motives, and methods for creating art that engages human rights issues. Recent projects include an event series about human trafficking, a two-day leadership summit for high school students focusing on art & activism, and an International Human Rights Day artist commission.

Axis Theatre – Baltimore, MD (1992-1994)
Artistic Associate and founding member of critically acclaimed Baltimore theatre company producing new and established texts. Director, Vaclav Havel’s Largo Desolato, and Cabaret Verboten compiled by Jeremy Lawrence.

Center Stage – Baltimore, MD (1991-1992)
Education and Outreach Intern - Served as in-house liaison for educators and theatre artists. Directed and adjudicated plays submitted to the Young Playwright’s Festival- an outreach program conjoining area schools, teachers, and visiting playwrights. Contributed extensively to season play research and program notes. Co-authored five forty-page study guides. Attended rehearsals with Lisa Peterson, Michael Greif, and Irene Lewis.

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