C.V.

 

CURRICULUM VITAE (Sorry, but I worked at USC for 30 years!)

EDUCATION

SUNY at Buffalo, B.A. Frisbee, Cum Laude, 969

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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):

Nick Ray, Director, "Rebel Without a Cause" with James Dean

Nick Ray, Director, “Rebel Without a Cause” with James Dean

PROFESSIONAL ARTISTIC CAREER

MODERN DANCE

The Dance Troupe, Director Shirley Mordine, in Residence at Columbia College, Chicago

Company Member, 1970-74. Performed and toured with the company, and with Meredith Monk.

MoMing Dance Theater, Chicago, IL – Co-founder and Co-Director, 1974-77

Dancer, Director, Choreographer, Clown. Funded by the Illinois Arts Council

MoMing Dancers, 1975: Susan Kimmelman, Jim Self, Kasia Mintch, Eric Trules, & Jackie Radis

MoMing Dancers, 1975: Susan Kimmelman, Jim Self, Kasia Mintch, Eric Trules, & Jackie Radis

CLOWNING

Cumeezi Bozo Ensemble, NYC’s Resident Clown Troupe, 1978-1982, Founder, Artistic, and Executive Director; Toured Holland, Switzerland & France, 1979.

Performed at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, and hundreds of other venues in NYC.

Funded multiple times by the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts), NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts), and many other local and nationally prominent foundations & corporations

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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, Back Stage West, and LA Weekly

2011-present: Developed and Directed “Last of the Knotts’, an original 1 man show written and performed by Doug Knott, Debuted at Theatre Asylim Lab, moved all around the U.S., LA Times Review

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2014: Developed & Directed LINE, PLEASE!, an original 1 man show written by Burke Byrnes, Played at Theatre Asylum Lab in Hollywood, Moved to Odyssey Theater in 2015

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2012: Developed & Dramaturged “Piano Man” by Lexi Pappas (former USC School of Theatre student), winner of “Best of the Fest” of 2012 Hollywood Fringe Festival

2011: Developed & “Dramaturged” 5 original 1 person shows that opened in LA; All 3 in the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Festival were chosen as “Best of the Fest”.

1986: Developed and Directed “America’s Finest”,  an original 1 man show written and performed by Burke Byrnes, Played at Beverly Hills Playhouse in LA and at Edinburgh Fringe Festival

1985: Developed and Directed “Warhit” and “More Warhit”  2 original 1 man shows written and performed by Doug Warhit. Played at Beverly Hills Playhouse for a successful and extended run. Lee Melville of the LA Weekly said: “Warhit is the next brightly original comedien destined for stardom”.

Theater Festival Producer, Los Angeles, CA, 1985-present, 

“Spoken Word Festival” (SWF), Founder, Artistic, and Executive Director, 1990-present; Funded by the NEA National Endownent for the Arts) , CAC (California Arts Council), LA Country Arts Commission, and City of LA Cultural Affairs Department

1990: Los Angeles Festival, Spoken Word Segment Producer (for Peter Sellars)

1991: Santa Monica Festival, Artistic Director & Producer (for Santa Monica Arts Commission)

1992: WORD/LA, An Oral Response to the Rodney King Violence, Producer for SWF

1995: SOLO LA, CBS Studios, Producer for SWF

2011-14: Hollywood Fringe Festival, Solo Performance, Producer for SWF

SOLO PERFORMANCE ARTIST

Writer & performer of original 1 man performances

1988: “Down, But Not Out” – Wallenboyd & Theatre/Theater, LA; MoMing, Chicago; Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Shortlisted for “Best Show of the Fringe” See Ray Loynd’s LA Times Review

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1990: “W(Holes)” – Theatre/Theater, LA

1995: “The Day After Valentine’s Day” – Hudson Theater & CBS Radford Studio (LA); Edinburgh Fringe Festival

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2002-03: “Cock Tales”, Various theaters, Los Angeles, CA

2010: “Waiting for Jack”, Played Allen Ginsberg

John Densmore of The Doors and Trules as Allen Ginsberg, both "Waiting for Jack" (Kerouac)

John Densmore of The Doors and Trules as Allen Ginsberg, both “Waiting for Jack” (Kerouac)

2015: “An Evening with Eric Trules”, Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA, produced by Eve Brandstein, Poetry in         Motion, 97 minute full length reading/performance of Travel Stories, Available on YouTube

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POET/SPOKEN WORD ARTIST, 1988-present

Published in Various Anthologies w/ Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, etc.

Featured Poet at Beyond Baroque, Cafe Largo, many other LA venues, 1988-present

“Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award” winner

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1989-2016: Presented original poetry & spoken word work at Beyond Baroque, LA’s most historic literary venue, for “Poetry in Motion”, Produced by Eve Brandstein

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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” – Wrote Oringinal Screenplay, Produced & Broadcast by HBO/Cinemax, 1995

FILMMAKER, 1991-present

The Poet and the Con” – feature length documentary – Director, Producer, Editor (1998),

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Screened at over 20 International and Domestic Film Festivals; Commercial Theatrical Presentation at the Laemmle Theaters in LA (See LA Times Review & Feature Article), Available on Netflix and Amazon

2014: Screened “The Poet and the Con” in LA for the 1st time in 15 years at Beit T’Shuvah

PUBLIC SPEAKING

2015: TEDxFulbright Talk, “The Train of Opportunity“, The Broad Stage, Santa Monica, Available upon request.

Screening and Q & A of “The Poet and the Con”, 2 hour program: 78 minute film screening with 40 minute Q & A (Question & Answer) with Filmmaker

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”: 1 hour Lecture on the history of modern art in America, 1960 – present: at UMS (University of Malaysia Sabah), 2002.

Traveling the World, 1999-present: 1 hour live presentation with computer projections and first hand stories on traveling the world to suc places as India, China, Morocco, Cuba, Jamaica, Western & Eastern Europe, the Mid-East, SE Asia, South America, 49 of the United States of America. Website: “e-travels with e. trules”

Corporate TrainingMalaysia, 2002. – Taught government employees (lawyers, police men & women, clerks) teamwork, how to be more creative and communicative.

BLOGGER & PODCASTER

2014-present: The Huffington Post  and The Cultural Weekly

2 Personal WordPress Blogs, since 2002

“Trules Rules”

  “e travels with e. trules”

2016: New Podcast, “e-travels with e. trules” created with USC Capstone grant

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TEACHING

University of Southern California (USC, 1986 to present)

USC School of Dramatic Arts (SDA)

          Associate Professor of Theatre Practice, 2010 – present

          Senior Lecturer, 2006 -10

           Lecturer, Full-time Faculty, SOT 2003-05

           Adjunct Assistant Professor, SOT 1986-2003

School of Cinema/Television – Adjunct Assistant Professor, 1999

           Created new course and co-taught “Personal Voice Documentary Filmmaking”

Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Studies (Theater), 2008-2013

Guest Artist at the national Caragiale Film & Theater Institute, Bucharest, Romania, 2010

          Taught Solo Performance & Improvisation

Guest Teacher at LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company, Beijing, China, 2007

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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

MoMing Dance Theater, Chicago – Taught Modern Dance, Ballet, Improvisation, & Clowning, 1975-77

MoMing Bozo Ensemble, Chicago, 1975

MoMing Bozo Ensemble, Chicago, 1975

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 (at the USC School of Dramatic Arts)

-Improvisation & Theatre Games, THTR 122

          Original improvisation & movement technique developed by Trules: Teaching creativity & self-expression. Enhances team work, self-confidence, risk-taking, trust, & thinking outside the box.

          USC, 1986 – present; UCLA Extension, 1994-95; Malaysia, 2002 (Fulbright residency); LDTX Beijing Modren Dance Company, 2007; Bucharest Romania, 2010 (Fulbright Senior Specialist Residency)

-Solo Performance, THTR 479       

            Original personal story telling technique developed by Trules, teaching autobiographical monologue creation, first in writing, then in performance. Connects performers to themselves and an audience in empowering, alchemical ways. Bridges the gap between people, politics, religion, & cultures.

            USC, 1993- present; Malaysia, 2002; Bucharest, Romania, 2010.

-Clowning, 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! “Free Public Laughs”!

Clowning: USC, Spring 2014

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           Chicago, 1974-77; New York City, 1977-82; UMS, Malaysia, 2002;

-USC SDA Guest Artist Seminar, 2012-14: “A Life in the Theater with Gordon Davidson”

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New course created by Trules w/ Gordon Davidson, Founding Artistic Director of the Mark Taper Forum, 1967 – 2005. Passing on the Davidson legacy with guest artists such as Charlayne Woodard, Ken Brechner, Arvin Brown, Alan Mandell, John Rubinstein, & Charles McNulty, Theater Critic for the Los Angeles Times,who came to class and wrote a front page “Calendar” piece

General Studies, USC

Freshmen Seminars

Self Expression & the Arts, USC 1993 – 2010.

           An original Freshman Seminar created by Trules exposing students to arts and culture in Los Angeles, on USC’s campus, and within themselves.

Bob Dylan, the Early Years, 2011-13.

         An original Freshman Seminar created by Trules covering albums 1-7 of Dylan’s musical career

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– 2014-16 “Bob Dylan, the 60s, and YOU” – Seminar Focused on Student Activism & Engagement in Social Justice and Social Enterprise

Micro Seminar: 2005-present: “Arts & Culture, Los Angeles/USC”

           An original seminar created by Trules exposing incoming freshman to LA’s & USC’s Arts & Culture through  the city’s physical and cultural geography, and cultural opportunities such as museums theaters, ethnic neighborhoods; USC’s “Visions & Voices” & Spectrum programs

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/video with the filmmaker at the center of his/her own autobiographical story.

          California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) at California Institute for the Arts, Valencia, CA, 1992-93. Poetry, Solo Performance, Short Fiction, Screenwriting

 

GRANTS & AWARDS:

1975-76: CETA Grant, Chicago, one of the 1st CETA artist grantees in the USA

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

1994: USC Mellon Mentoring grant/award to create pilot film/tv program at Washington Prep, LAUSD

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: Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Studies (Theatre)

2010: Fulbright Residency at Caragiale Film & Theater University, Bucharest, Romania

2016: USC Capstone grant to create new Podcast, “e. travels with e-trules”

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PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/MEMBERSHIPS

Theatre Without Borders

International Documentary Association

Independent Feature Film Project

Association of Los Angeles Playwrights

Fulbright Alumni Association, LA Chapter Board Member (2015-present)

Servas International

PUBLICATIONS

2013: TCG’s website (Theatre Communications Group, leading national theater publication), on Trules’ Fulbright experiences

2013: November 14, 2013 Los Angeles Times feature story by Gary Klein published on the front page of the Sports section, featuring SDA student and USC football player, Cyrus Hobbi’s experience in Trules’ solo performance class

2013: February 9, 2013 Los Angeles Times feature story by Charles McNulty published on the front page of Sunday’s “Calendar”: “Gordon Davidson Is Still Giving To Theater”:

2010, Bucharest, Romania, “Trules Speaks”, 2 hour oral presentation

2005, Granada, Spain: Refereed Paper published in International Journal of Learning: Personal Storytelling Bridges the Global Divide, Changing the World One Story at a Time”                  

AUTHOR/EDITOR/PUBLISHER

2016: Soon to be launched Podcast, “e-travels with e. trules”, funded by USC Capstone grant

2002-2014: “e-travels with e. trules“, original literary travel website

2004; “Stories About Ourselves”, Performance Monologues for Young Adults, USC, Editor

1995: “It’s the Day After Valentines’ Day”, original 1 person show, published by Lucretia press

1990-2015: Poems, short stories, & essays published in national anthologies and in The Los Angeles Times

1991-93: “Euphonia”, A Los Angeles Journal for Men, Editor & Publisher

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PROFESSIONAL/ACADEMIC/COMMUNITY SERVICE

2006-09, 2010-2014: Faculty Representative for USC SDA’s “Good Neighbors Campaign”

2011-13: Served on USC SOT (School of Theatre) Faculty Recognition Committee

2006-14 – Served on SOT Global Committee

2009-11: SOT rep on University Non Tenue Track (NTT)Faculty Committee

2004: Creator and Director of Pilot Film/Video Program at Washington Prep HS, Los Angeles, Funded with USC Mellon Mentoring Undergraduate Research Project Grant

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

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ACADEMIC CONFERENCES/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

1992 – “Inventing the Future: The Playwright’s Perspective”, UCLA – featured panelist

1999 – “Visible Evidence Conference”, UCLA – featured invited panelist

2004 – “What Matters to Me and Why” USC Lecture, 2004 & 2008

2005 – “International Conference on Learning”, Granada, Spain, invited presenter

2006 – Speaker at the American Leadership Academy, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2010 – “Trules Speaks”, Bucharest, Romania

 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: USC Phi Kappa Phi “Faculty Recognition Award” from University of Southern California

2002: Fulbright Senior Scholar to Malaysia

2008-13: Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Studies (Theater)

PROFESSIONAL & PEDAGOGICAL TRIPS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

2014: Jakarta, Indonesia: Taught international theater workshops in Improvisation and Solo Performance

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: Resident Artist, Taught the LDTX Beijing Modern Dance Company

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 International 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

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