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Professor ERIC TRULES, Senior Lecturer, USC School of Theater, 1986 - Present

CURRICULUM VITAE

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, 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- resent

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 to/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)

TEACHING

University of Southern California (USC)

School of Theatre (SOT)

Senior Lecturer, 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)

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 Commitee

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

2002/2008-13: Fulbright Awards: See “Grants” above

PROFESSIONAL TRIPS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

2007: Beijing, China: Taught the LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company, 8/07, Sponsored by USC and LDTX Dance Company

2006: Cochi, India: Researched Kathakali Dance, July-August, 2006