eric trules



ERIC TRULES, Associate Professor of Practice, USC School of Theatre
CURRICULUM VITAE, 1986 - Present
EDUCATION
SUNY at Buffalo, B.A., Cum Laude, Psychology, 1969
PROFESSIONAL ARTS TRAINING
Theater Training - La Mama Etc., NYC - Grotowski Technique, 1970
Dance Training - 1970—77 - Shirley Mordine; Graham & Cunningham technique; Ballet; Jazz - JoJo Smith, NYC,
Acting Training - Lee Strasberg, Jose Quintero, Susan Batson, Michael Shurtleff, 1978-86
Director's Training - Lee Strasberg & Jose Quintero (Theater): Nicholas Ray (Film); Dennis Steinmetz & Alan Bergman (Television), 1977-1986
PROFESSIONAL ARTISTIC CAREER
MODERN DANCE
The Dance Troupe, Director Shirley Mordine, in Residence at Columbia College, Chicago; Company Member, 1970-74
MoMing Dance Theater, Chicago, IL - Co-founder and Co-Director, 1974-77 Dancer, Director, Choreographer, Clown
CLOWNING
Cumeezi Bozo Ensemble, NYC's Resident Clown Troupe, 1978-1982, Founder, Artistic, and Executive Director; Toured Holland, Switzerland & France, 1979 funded by the NEA (National endowment for the Arts), NYSCA, and many other local Foundations & corporations
THEATRE
Professional Actor, Los Angeles, CA, 1983-1990, Various, Film, TV, & Theater Roles See Separate Resume
Theater Director-Producer, Los Angeles, CA, 1985-present - Specialize in 1 person shows, awards from Drama-Logue, LA Weekly - See publicity and press package
Theater Festival Producer, Los Angeles, CA, 1985-present
Los Angeles Festival, Spoken Word Segment, 1990;
Santa Monica Festival, 1991;
Spoken Word Festival, Founder, Artistic, and Executive Director, 1990-present
WORD/LA, An Oral Response to the Rodney King Violence, 1992
SOLO LA, CBS Studios, 1995
SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Down, But Not Out", 1988 - Wallenboyd & Theatre/Theater, LA; Chicago; Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Shortlisted for "Best Show of the Fringe"
"W(Holes)", 1990 - Theatre/Theater, LA
"The Day After Valentine’s Day", 1995 - Hudson Theater & CBS Radford Studio (LA); Edinburgh Fringe Festival
"Cock Tales", 2002-2003, Various theaters, Los Angeles, CA
---SEE REVIEWS
POET/PERFORMANCE POET, 1988-present
Published in Various Anthologies w/ Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, etc., 1989- present
Featured Poet at Beyond Baroque, Cafe Largo, many other LA venues, 1988-present
RADIO WORK, 1988-present
Hosted KPFK's "Theater Closeup", 1991
Presented original work on KPFK, KCRW, KXLU, Los Angeles, 1988-present
NPR "Savvy Traveler" Correspondent, 2001
SCREENWRITER, 1986-present
"King Blood", Adapted Jim Thompson's novel of the same name, 1994
"The Gardener" - Produced & Broadcast by HBO/Cinemax, 1995
FILMMAKER, 1991-present
"The Poet and the Con" - feature length documentary - Director, Producer, Editor, 1998,Over 20 International Festival Invitations & Appearances; Commercial Theatrical Presentation at various Laemmle Theaters, LA (See LA Times Review & Feature Article) http://www.poetandcon.com/
TEACHING
University of Southern California (USC)
School of Theatre (SOT)
Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor, 2006 to present
Lecturer, Full-time Faculty, SOT 2003-05
Adjunct Assistant Professor, SOT 1986-2003
School of Cinema/Television – Adjunct Assistant Professor
teach "Personal Voice Documentary" Filmmaking
Guest Teacher at LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company, Beijing, China, 2007
Washington Prep High School, Director & Creator of Pilot Film & Video Program, 2004
Fulbright Scholar, 2002, Malaysia
Taught Improvisation & Theatre Games & Solo Performance at 2 different Islamic universities
UCLA Extension - Taught Improvisation & Theater Games, 1994-95
California State Summer School for the Arts CSSSA), at Cal Arts, Valencia - Taught Creative Writing, 1992-93
Learning Network & Private Classes - Taught Clowning, as Director of NYC's Resident Clown Troupe, 1977-82
MoMing Dance Theater, Chicago - Taught Modern Dance, Ballet, Improvisation, & Clowning, 1975-77
Columbia College, Chicago - Taught Modern Dance & Improvisation in School of Dance, 1971-75
Columbia College, Chicago - Taught Movement for Actors in School of Theater including Grotowski Technique, 1970-72
COURSES TAUGHT/PRESENTATIONS OFFERED
Theatre
Improvisation & Theatre Games, USC 1986 – present. UCLA Extension 1994-95. Malaysia, 2002. LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company, 2007.
Teaches self expression & creativity through games and movement. Enhances team work, confidence, risk-taking, trust, & thinking outside the box.
Solo Performance, USC 1993- present. Malaysia, 2002.
Teaches autobiographical story telling, first in writing, then in performance. Connects performers to themselves and an audience. Bridges the gaps between politics, religion, people, & cultures.
Self Expression & the Arts, USC 1993 – present.
Exposes students to arts and culture in Los Angeles, on USC’s campus, and within themselves.
Clowning, MoMing, Chicago, 1974-77; New York City, 1977-82. UMS, Malaysia, 2002; USC, 2007.
Original Clown Technique developed by Trules to train the body, mind, & spirit in clowning, character, costume & makeup and to bring students out in public as clowns!
Filmmaking
Personal Voice Filmmaking, USC 1991; Washington Prep High School, South Central Los Angeles, 2004
Teaches novice or experienced filmmakers how to conceive, write, shoot, edit, title, and score, film/videos with the filmmaker at the center of his/her own autobiographical story.
Screening of "The Poet and the Con", 2 hour program: 78 minute film screening with 40 minute Q & A (Question & Answer with Filmmaker, Trules)
Creative Writing
California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) at California Institute for the Arts, Valencia, CA, 1992-93.
Poetry, Short Fiction, Screenwriting
Corporate Training
Malaysia, 2002. – Taught government employees (lawyers, police men & women, clerks) teamwork, how to be more creative and communicative.
Leadership
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 2006. American Leadership Academy
30-60 minute talk on "Finding Your Own Voice/Thinking Outside the Box/Taking the Road Less Traveled"
Arts in America
UMS (University of Malaysia Sabah), 2002. 1 hour Lecture on the history of modern art in America, 1960 – present.
Traveling the World on a Budget, Los Angeles, 2006-07
1 hour presentation with computer images and first hand stories on traveling the world to such places as India, China, Morocco, Western Europe, the Mid-East, SE Asia, South America, 49 of the United States of America
GRANTS:
1975,76: CETA Grant, Chicago
1975-77: Illinois Arts Council grants
1979, 81, & 82: National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) "Arts Exposure" grant
1980: NEA Expansion Arts grant
1981 & 82: NEA Theater Program grants
1983: NEA Special Constituencies (Deaf, Senior, & Handicapped)
1980-82: New York State Council on the Arts
1991: Brody Grant from the California Community Foundation
1991-95: Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept. grants
1991-95: California Arts Council grants
1991: NEA Inter-Arts grant for the Multi-Cultural Spoken Word Festival
1991: Western States Regional Media Fellowship
1994: LA County Music and Performing Arts Commission grant
1995: Pioneer Fund grant for THE POET AND THE CON
1998: Catherine E. & Edwin W. Davis Foundation grant for THE POET AND THE CON
2002: Senior Fulbright Scholar, 8 months in Malaysia
2004: USC Undergraduate Research Project (Film Program, Washington Prep HS, LA)
2008-13: Senior Fulbright Specialist in American Studies (Theatre)
2010: Fulbright Residency at Caragiale Film & Theater University, Bucharest, Romania
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS
Theatre Without Borders
International Documentary Association
Independent Feature Project
Association of Los Angeles Playwrights
Fulbright Alumni Association
Servas International
PUBLICATIONS/PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
2005, Granada, Spain: Refereed Paper published in International Journal of Learning: "Personal Voice Storytelling Bridges the Global Divide, Changing the World One Story at a Time"
1999, "The Poet and the Con" - feature length documentary film - Director, Producer, Editor. Screened at 20 International and Domestic Film Festivals; Theatrical Release at various Laemmle Theaters, LA
1995,"The Gardener" - Screenplay Sold, Produced, & Broadcast to/by HBO/Cinemax
1995, "It’s the Day After Valentine’s Day", (Lucretia Press) - Illustrated Solo Performance Book
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
"Euphonia", A Los Angeles Journal for Men, 1991-93
"E-travels with E. Trules", literary travel website, 2002-present http://www.etravelswithetrules
"Stories About Ourselves", Performance Monologues for Young Adults, 2004, USC
PROFESSIONAL/COMMUNITY SERVICE
2004: Creator and Director of Pilot Film/Video Program at Washington Prep HS, Los Angeles, Funded with USC Undergraduate Research Project Grant
2006-07 - Faculty Representative for USC's "Good Neighbors Campaign', the University- wide philanthropic organization that funds local activities, schools, and organizations in USC's neighborhoods - increased funding in record amounts
2006-present – Serve on USC School of Theatre’s (SOT) Global Committee
2005-06, Chair USC SOT Library Committee
2003-06, Served on USC SOT Scholarship Committee
1993-2006, USC Non-Resident Faculty Advisor/Fellow
1990-Present, Individual Student & Club Advisor
1990-1995, Producer of City-Wide (Los Angeles) Arts Festivals
1990-present, Occasional Editorialist for LA Times and other publications
ACADEMIC CONFERENCES/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
1992 - "Inventing the Future: The Playwright's Perspective", UCLA - featured panelist
1999 - ""Visible Evidence Conference, UCLA - featured invited panelist
2003 - "Pop Culture" Conference, New Orleans, invited presenter
2004 - "What Matters to Me and Why" USC Lecture, 2004
2005 - "International Conference on Learning", Granada, Spain, invited presenter
2006 - Speaker at the American Leadership Academy, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
AWARDS/SPECIAL RECOGNITION/HONORS
1988, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Shortlisted for "Best Show of the Fringe"
1992, Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award
1992: Certificate of Award 17th Annual Poetry Film/Video Festival, San Francisco
1999: Phi Kappa Phi "Faculty Recognition Award" from University of Southern California
2002: Senior Fulbright Scholar to Malaysia
2008-13: Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Studies (Theater)
PROFESSIONAL TRIPS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES
2010: Bucharest, Romania: Fulbright Senior Specialist Residency at Caragiale Film & Theater University
2009: Havana, Cuba: Creative Consultant for International Theatre-Film project, "The Closest Farthest Away"
2007: Beijing, China: Taught the LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company, 8/07,
2006: Cochi, India: Researched Kathakali Dance, July-August, 2006
2005: Granada, Spain: Presented paper at 12th International Conference of Learning, July, 2005, Sponsored by USC and Learning Conference
2002: Senior Fulbright Scholar, East Malaysia (Borneo) & Kuala Lumpur, January- August, 2002 (8 months), Sponsored by CIES
1999: Screened "The Poet and the Con" in Jerusalem, Israel, July, 1999 Invited by Israeli Cultural Diplomats
1998: Premiered feature-length Documentary film, "The Poet and the Con" in Nyon, Switzerland, Invited by Visions Du Reel International Documentary Film Festival
1995: Presented 1-man show "It’s the Day After Valentine’s Day" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
1988: Presented 1-man show "Down But Not Out" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Shortlisted for "Best Show of the Fringe" by London’s Independent
1979: Toured Holland, Switzerland, & France as Artistic Director of NYC’s Resident Clown Troupe, the "Cumeezi Bozo Ensemble
See also: www.erictrules.com