Alexis Macnab · Teaching

Education

  • California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Valencia, CA

    M.F.A. in Theater, Directing, 2010-2013

  • Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH

    B. A., with High Honors in Theater, 1997-2001. Phi Beta Kappa

Awards & Residencies

Grant Awards

  • The Jim Henson Foundation Workshop Grant

  • Theatre Bay Area CA$H Grant

  • SSU Koret Scholars Award

  • The Puffin Foundation Grant

  • CalArts Alumnx Council Seed Grant

  • SSU Faculty SOURCE Award

  • SSU The Steven Norwick Memorial Award

Residencies, Festival Selections & Conference Invitations (Select)

  • IUGTE Conference: Theater between tradition and contemporaneity, Leibnitz, Austria

  • Resident Artist Workshop (RAW) Residency, SAFEhouse Arts, San Francisco, CA

  • Live Arts Exchange/LAX Festival, Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA

  • Lab @ Piven Series, Piven Theatre Workshop, Evanston, IL

  • Automata Residency Program Supported Projects, Automata, Los Angeles, CA

  • Studio Artist in Residence, 1450 Ocean Camera Obscura Building, Santa Monica, CA

  • Artist in Residence at The CalArts Center for New Performance, Valencia, CA

  • New Orleans Fringe Festival, Art Klub, New Orleans, LA

  • SCRamble Fest, South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, CA

  • Performing Arts Residency at chashama Space Residency Program, New York, NY

  • American Living Room Festival, HERE Arts Center, New York, NY

Teaching (select)

Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA (August 2017-August 2019)

  • Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts & Dance

Teaching in the Acting Concentration of the Theatre Arts & Dance Department. Teaching classes of 12-23 undergraduate students, both majors and non-majors. Serving as Academic Advisor to Department majors and minors. Directing one show per year for the Department Season, and supporting Department shows as requested. Developing interdisciplinary research and creative projects both within and between SSU Schools. Courses taught: THAR 120 Acting Fundamentals, THAR 220A Text & Scene Study, THAR 220B Characterization, THAR 312 Actor/Dancer Collaboration II, THAR 324 On Camera Acting & Production, THAR 420B Physical Approaches, THAR 420D Devising Workshop, THAR 160A&B First-Year Learning Community Performance, the Creative Process, and You (GE Area A3, C1) Department Shows Directed: Mr. Burns: a Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn.

California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA (January 2017-May 2017)

  • Acting Faculty

Served as Teacher and Director for the 2017 graduating Actor BFA and MFA Showcase for the CalArts School of Theater. Chose and directed scenes to be presented to industry professionals in New York and Los Angeles, mentored students regarding Industry-related careers, oversaw final Showcase production, worked with students and other faculty on the film reel portion of their presentations.

New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, CA (October 2014-May 2017) 

  • Acting Faculty

Taught Directing, Movement, Voice and Contemporary Dance classes in multiple levels to students in the BFA and MFA Acting programs at NYFA's Los Angeles campus. Led classes of approximately 9-12 students, developing course syllabi, leading both semester-long and short-term intensive courses for the Academy. Additional duties include Mentoring Student Directed Plays, mentoring and advising individual students, and coaching scene and monologue work.

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (September 2015-February 2016)

  • Guest Director

Worked with the Theatre and Dance Department as a Guest Director for the Winter Term session at Oberlin College on an original adaptation of the Tolstoy novella Family Happiness. Led a student cast and crew, and Faculty and professional design team to create a new physical theater and ensemble-based staging of the adaptation.

California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA (November 2013-December 2014)

  • Part-Time Lecturer for the College of Theatre Arts

Led students from both the Masters and Undergraduate programs as Guest Director for two curricular theater productions produced by the University’s Theatre Arts department: By the Bog of Cats…by Marina Carr (for the University Players, February 2014), and The Pavilion by Craig Wright (for CalRep, September 2014). Worked with more than 20 students as director across those projects including designers, actors, crew, and Department Faculty and Staff.