Tom Bentley Theatre Resume

Theatre
RESUME
Tom Bentley
Biography Theatre Resume Writing Resume Stories Reviews Teaching Links	THEATRE - SELECTED DIRECTING
	2002-2008	Freelance
		Freelance work with San Francisco Area companies such as the San Francisco Playwrights Foundation, Axis Dance Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, and Subterranean Shakespeare.
	2007-2008	Tant per Tant, Canada/ Barcelona Associate director
		Company dedicated to the translation, exchange and production of plays between Catalonia and North America. Plays directed include “Oooo!” by Gerard Vasquez.
	2005-2008	Aurora Theatre, Berkeley, CA Director
		Coordinator of new play development program. Plays directed include “Los Once”, by Finnian Sullivan, “Happy Slap”, by Laura Jacqmin, and “Events with Life’s Leftovers”, by Alberto Villarreal Díaz. Program included new commissioned plays by Craig Lucas and Amy Freed.
	2006-2008	Theatre Release, San Francisco, CA Artistic Director
		Plays directed include “Chekhov Squared”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, and “The Maids”, by Jean Genet.
		“The Maids”
	2005	Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA Director
		Taming of the Shrew (William Shakespeare)
	Canada 1998 – 2001	Freelance directing
		i“The Girl Who Was Saved by Jazz”, by Donald Kerr, for the Saskatoon Symphony Two seasons at Rosthern Arts Centre as director and musical director of productions Writer and Director of “New York Is Big but This is Biggar”, a musical commissioned by the Canadian Millennium Project.
	1985-1998	Twenty-Fifth Theatre, Saskatoon, CN Artistic Director
		Tom Bentley established the theatre’s focus as the discovery, development and production of original Canadian plays and earned a strong reputation for innovative and socially responsive work. During his tenure he: - Produced twelve full seasons of original plays. - Directed over forty original productions, including early work by Paula Vogel, Howard Korder, Dianne Warren, Greg Nelson, Connie Gault, Joanna Glass, and Anne Szumigalski. - Established programs for new play development. - Toured and co-produced throughout Western Canada. - Established Outreach Programs with communities not normally associated with mainstream theatre. - Established Student Mentor Program for young writers from rural communities.
	1990-1998	Saskatoon International Fringe Festival, Saskatoon, CN Founder/Producer
		Tom Bentley initiated and produced the Saskatoon International Fringe Festival, an eight-day theatre event consisting of over eighty provincial, national and international theatre companies, performing in seven indoor venues. The purpose of the Festival was to create opportunities for local artists who were finding it difficult to present their work, break down the traditional barriers between the artist and audience, and celebrate the community at large. Attendance grew from eight thousand to sixty thousand in five years, supported by a volunteer base of over four hundred.
	1993	Canadian Council For The Arts Senior Artist Grant
		In 1993, Tom Bentley was awarded an Arts Board Grant to observe and work with theatre and dance companies throughout Europe and Asia. The focus of the eight-month long sabbatical was to experience the work of companies creating innovative and cross-disciplinary presentation. On his return, this resulted in developing projects with actors, playwrights and designers in forms of theatre not previously seen by audiences in Saskatoon. These productions incorporated the use of dance, music, multi-media and theatrical formats created for a non-traditional relationship between audience and artist.
	1986	Saskatchewan Native Theatre, Saskatoon, CN Director
		Family Violators Will Be Towed Away (a collective)
	1985	Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, CN Director
		Exposures (William Chadwick). Premiere
	1980-83	Toronto Theatre Ensemble, Toronto, CN Artistic Director
		Artistic Director of artist run company, producing in the Adelaide Court Theatre. Plays directed include The Threepenny Opera (Brecht), The Glass Menagerie (Williams), Spring Awakening (Wedekind) and The Big Scene (Schnitzler).
	1983-84	Arbor Theatre, Peterborough, Ontario. CN Artistic Director of Acorn Company
		Acorn Company was a youth theatre developed to provide workshops, theatre Coaching and productions to a wide range of the community. Plays directed include The Taming of The Shrew, The Wizard of Oz and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.
	1981-1984	Theatre Direct, Toronto, CN Associate Director
		Director of main-stage and touring productions. Two of the plays directed were nominated for the Dora Award as Best Production, and a third, How I Wonder What You Are (Robert Morgan), was the winner of the Chalmer's Award.
	1984	Equity Showcase, Harbourfront, Toronto, CN Director
		La Ronde (Arthur Schnitzler)
	1983	Theatre London, London, Ontario, CN Director
		Exile (Ric Wellwood). Premiere. The Happy Prince (opera by Malcolm Williamson). Canadian Premiere.
	1980	Ryerson Theatre Department, Toronto, CN Guest Director
		You Can't Take It With You (Kaufman & Hart)
	1979	Global Village, Toronto, CN Director
		Outcry (Tennessee Williams). Canadian Premiere

	THEATRE - TEACHING
	1995-2007	Studio Coaching
		Professionally Conducted Scene Study Coaching
	1986-1999	University of Saskatchewan Drama Department Seasonal Lecturer
		Taught all levels of Acting in four year degree courses.
	1975-1981	University of Waterloo Drama Department Director of Acting Program.
		Reorganized the Acting Program to develop a teaching team with a coherent philosophy. Taught senior Coaching in Acting, Directing and Action and was responsible for supervising instruction in Voice and Movement. Directed over twenty productions on the Main Stages during a six-year tenure. Plays directed include:
		A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare The House of Bernada Alba, Lorca The Diary of a Scoundrel, Ostrovsky Kennedy's Children, Robert Patrick The Bear & The Proposal, Chekov The Stronger, Strindberg	The Crucible, Arthur Miller A Day for Surprises, Guare Bland Hysteria, John Palmer La Ronde, Schnitzler Play Strindberg, Durrenmatt The First Warning, Strindberg
	1985-2007	Additional Teaching
		includes Voice in the Radio and Television Department at Conestoga College (Ontario), and Acting at Vancouver City College, the Canadian Mime School, Ryerson Theatre Department and York University. Also taught Master Coaching in Movement and Laban, most recently for Axis Dance Company in Oakland

	THEATRE - ACTING
		Tom Bentley began his theatre career as an actor in London, England, where he worked regularly for BBC Radio and performed in the West End. In Canada, he spent full seasons with Toronto Workshop Productions, Young People's Theatre, and The Theatre Hour Company, as well as acting in regional theatres across the country. He has also worked in film and television. (A complete list of roles and projects available on request.)

	THEATRE - TRAINING
		Drama Centre, London - Yat Malmgren Studio Fourteen, London - Doreen Cannon Neighborhood Playhouse, New York - Sanford Meisner University of Alberta, Fine Arts, CN Banff School of Fine Arts, Alberta, CN Toronto Conservatory of Music, CN

		Tom Bentley is a member of Actors Equity and Socan, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. During his career as an Artistic Director he went by the name Tom Bentley-Fisher.

©2007 Tom Bentley
TomBentley99@hotmail.com