 |
WALLACE
BRIDGES |
&
Teaching undergraduate
courses
in Introduction to Theatre, African American Theatre, Fundamentals of
Acting and Play Direction
&
Directing annual Eastern
Michigan University Theatre Mainstage productions
&
Advising
undergraduate and graduate students
&
Serving
on departmental, college and university committees
&
Founder and artistic
director for the Idlewild Theatre Company
&
Developed and teaching online course in African American
Theatre
&
Chaired
and served on graduate thesis project committees
&
Organized,
directed and performed African American theatre outreach troupe
&
Acting professionally
on stage, commercials and film
education
| professional
experience | other
work experience | military service | teaching
higher education | university activities
| professional organizations | references
Master
of Fine Arts, Theatre
(Directing) - 1992
Western Illinois University,
Macomb, IL
Thesis Project: OF MICE AND MEN
Bachelor
of Arts, Speech
and Drama - 1983
Cameron University,
Lawton, OK
Oklahoma Teacher Certification: Speech and Drama (1985-1990)
Online
Professor,
September ‘98 – Present
Office of Continuing Education, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti,
MI
- Developed and taught an undergraduate course in African American Theatre
on the Internet
- Developed and taught an undergraduate course in Introduction to Theatre
online (May ‘05)
Artistic
Director, Founder, June '04 - Present
Idlewild Theatre Company, MI
Founded the Idlewild Theatre Company in historic Idlewild, Michigan as
a summer touring theatre program networking with the Lake County Merry
Makers, Baldwin High School,
and Eastern Michigan University Theatre
Actor, Film, June '08
Don't Tread on Red, CA
Played Older Man in this science fiction feature film, Red and
Blue Marbles
Actor, Interactive Theatre, Fall '07 - Winter
'08
Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT Players), University
of Michigan
Played roles as various
professors in faculty and committee member scenarios
Actor,
Television Commercial, September '07
Production Cafe, MI
Played a man whose dentist saved his life in a Delta Dental television
commercial
Voice-over
,
Radio Commercial, September '07
Production Cafe, MI
Played a man whose dentist saved his life in a Delta Dental radio commercial
Model,
Print Ad, September '07
Production Cafe, MI
Portrayed a man whose dentist saved his life in a Delta Dental print ad
Actor,
Television Commercial, May '07
Moon Kochis Productions, MI
Played a man who needed an attorney's help in a Law Offices of Sam Bernstein
television commercial
Voice-over,
Television Commercial, May '07
Resolutions Media, MI
Narrated for a George Matick Chevrolet television commercial
Narrator,
Industrial Video, February '07
CV Media, MI
Narrated on screen the benefits plans available to employees at Beaumont
Hospital for this industrial video
Actor,
Television Commercial, November '06
Lansing Community College, MI
Played a man who had enrolled at Lansing Community College in a Lansing
Community College television commercial
Narrator,
Television Commercial, March '06
Comcast, MI
Played the son in an American House television commercial
Associate
Professor,
August ‘96 - August ‘05
Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, Eastern Michigan University,
Ypsilanti, MI
- Tenure, August 1996
- Taught undergraduate courses including beginning acting, Play Directing,
African American Theatre, Introduction to Theatre, and Fundamentals of
Speech
- Directed Mainstage production in the Eastern Michigan Theatre seasons
annually
- Organized, directed and performed the African American theatre outreach
troupe for performances in the dormitories, at local secondary schools,
for university activities and with community groups
- Served as academic advisor for approximately 10 theatre majors and minors
per semester
Narrator,
Voice-over, August '05
Wallstreet, MI
Narrated a Talk America radio commercial
Actor,
Independent Film, August '05
MediaHeroes, MI
Portrayed Ray in the feature film, SHOOTERS: GET THE PICTURE
Model,
Print, August '05
University of Michigan, MI
Portrayed the Husband and Dad in the Eat For Life training video
Model,
Print Ad, August '05
MI
Portrayed the Dad in a Talk America print ad
Actor,
Television Commercial, August '05
Production Cafe, MI
Portrayed the Dad in a Talk America television commercial
Extra,
Feature Film, August ‘05
Dribble Film Productions, CA
Portrayed an Extra in the feature film, CROSSOVER
Actor,
Television Commercial, June '05
WDIV Channel 4, MI
Portrayed the Husband in a Majic Windows television commercial
Actor,
Training Video, May '05
Vision Point, IA
Portrayed TJ in an ethics training video
Actor,
Training Video, May '05
K-Mart, MI
Portrayed an employee in a K-Mart ethics training video
Actor,
November ‘04 - February '05
City Theatre, Nederlander Company, MI
Moved with this production of Mitch Albom’s play, DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS
ANGEL from the Purple Rose Theatre to Detroit, and continued to play the
role of Lenny
Actor,
May - August '04
Purple Rose Theatre Company, MI
Originated and performed the role of Lenny in the world premiere production
of Mitch Albom’s play, DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL
Actor,
Television Commercial, November '04
Grace & Wild, MI
Portrayed a hapless husband, Dick, who had bought his wife a washing machine
as a gift in an ABC Warehouse commercial
Actor,
Training Video, August '04
Deano’s, MI
Portrayed family business owners in an Amway training video
Actor,
Television Commercial, July '04
Brogan and Partners, MI
Portrayed the Husband in a television commercial for Comcast Cable
Actor,
Industrial Video, March '04
Russell Video, MI
Portrayed the role of the Statistician in this Pfizer: Protocol Workstream
training video
Actor,
Music Video, February '04
Geronimo Film Productions, CA
- Portrayed an Extra in an Obie Trice music video of his song, "Don’t
Come Down"
Model,
Print Ad, November
'03
Michelle Andonian Photography, MI
- Portrayed a father and husband in a print ad for Blockbuster Video Stores
Actor,
Television Commercial, Still/Print, October '03
ACME Photo Works, MI
- Portrayed a family member in the television commercial and print ad
for Sinai Grace Hospital
Actor,
Television Commercial, October '03
Edge Creative Group, MI
- Portrayed the Doctor in the television commercial for Team One Credit
Union
Actor,
Music Video, October '03
Geronimo Film Productions, CA
Phillip Atwell, Director
- Portrayed an Extra in the Cash Kola music video of his song, "My
Life"
Actor,
Educational CD ROM, July '03
Radish Creative Group, MI
- Portrayed Dan on the educational CD-ROM, "Breaking the Barriers"
Voice-over,
Industrial CD, April '03
Michigan Cancer Consortium, MI
- Recorded the Voice 1 on the industrial CD-ROM, "Making the Choice:
Deciding What to Do About Early Stage Prostate Cancer"
Actor, Television Commercial,
April '03
Model, Print Ad, April '03
Foresight Group, MI
- Portrayed the role of a small business owner in a Physicians Health
Plan television commercial, and on a print ad
Extra,
Television Commercial, March '03
Rare, Medium, Well Done, Inc., MI
- Portrayed an extra in a Belle Tire television commercial
Actor,
Industrial Video, March '03
K-Mart, MI
- Portrayed the role of Robert in a K-Mart training video
Extra,
Television Commercial, February '03
Charmichael Lynch, MN
- Portrayed an extra in a Northwest Airline television commercial
Actor,
Industrial Video / Television Commercial, December '02/July '03
Lowe Worldwide, MI
- Portrayed the Electrical Engineer in the General Motors Corp. Savana
Van training video,
which was later used in a national GMC television commercial
Model,
Print Ad, December '02
Stone and Simons, MI
- Portrayed the Dad in the Credit Union One Home Mortgage poster
Actor,
Television Commercial, November '02
Sussman Sykes & Assoc., MI
- Portrayed a man in the restaurant for a Weight Watchers television commercial
Actor,
Industrial Video, October '02
CV Media, MI
- Portrayed the role of Harvey in the CNA Lawyers' Risk Management training
video
Voice-over,
Television Commercials, October '01
Brogan and Partners, MI
- Recorded the voice of the Narrator in two (2) Michigan Department of
Public Health Stop Gambling television spots
Actor,
Television Commercial, September '01
Brogan and Partners, MI
- Portrayed the Comcast Man in the Comcast Halloween Free High Speed Internet
spot
Voice-over,
Radio Commercial, March '01
Brogan and Partners, MI
- Recorded the voice of the Man in the Cape Health Plan radio spot
Adjunct Director,
February ‘01 - March ‘01
Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint,
MI
- Directed the musical, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Actor,
January ‘01 - February '01
Mobile Education, Inc., Redford, MI
- Played Martin in MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., One-man Show for elementary
schools in Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York
Visiting Associate Online Professor,
January - April '01; September - December '02
Department of Africana Studies, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
- Taught an undergraduate course in African American Theatre on the Internet
with a second course in development
Actor,
December ‘00 - January '01
Saint Louis Black Repertory Company, Saint Louis, MO
- Played Philmore in August Wilson's JITNEY
Voice-over,
May/June ‘99
Outrage Entertainment, Ann Arbor, MI
- Recorded voice-over for the Command Center of the video game, DESCENT
3
Director, May/June
'98
Lawton Community Theatre, Lawton, OK
- Directed WHITE PICKET FENCE
Director,
March/April '98
Huron High School, Ann Arbor, MI
- Directed Samm-Art Williams' HOME
Visiting Associate
Professor, August
'96 - April '97
Department of Theatre and Drama, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Taught undergraduate courses including Acting in the Black Experience
and Black Theatre History
Scene Coach,
June '97
Oklahoma Arts Institute, Oklahoma City, OK
- Coached acting students with their final project scenes during the intensive
two-week acting course taught by Irene Connors at the prestigious Oklahoma
Summer Arts Institute
Actor,
September - November '95
Department of Theatre and Drama, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Performed the lead role of T.O. Jones in OyamO’s drama, I AM A
MAN as a part of the University of Michigan’s mainstage season
Assistant Professor,
August ‘92 - August '96
Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, Eastern Michigan University,
Ypsilanti, MI
- Taught undergraduate courses including beginning acting, Play Directing,
African American Theatre, Introduction to Theatre, and Fundamentals of
Speech.
- Directed mainstage production in the Eastern Michigan Theatre seasons
annually.
- Organized, directed and performed the African American theatre outreach
troupe for performances in the dormitories, at local secondary schools,
for university activities and with community groups.
- Served as academic advisor for approximately 10 theatre majors and minors
per semester
Director,
November ‘93 - January '94
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI
- Directed Charles H. Fuller's ZOOMAN AND THE SIGN
Director,
May/June '92
Lawton Community Theatre, Lawton, OK
- Directed Samm-Art Williams' HOME
Graduate Teaching Assistant,
September '90 - May '92
Department of Theatre, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
- Taught undergraduate courses including Introduction to Theatre and Black
Theatre
Speech and Drama Teacher,
August '86 - May '88
Lawton Public Schools, Lawton, OK
- Taught high school courses in Fundamentals of Speech, Drama and Stagecraft.
- Directed one high school theatrical production per semester.
- Coached and supervised approximately thirty students involved in competitive
speech activities during eight to ten festivals per year.
- Technical supervisor for the school's stage during other school activities
Director,
July/August '86
Westside Community Center, Bartlesville, OK
- Directed James McLure's LAUNDRY AND BOURBON
Speech Teacher,
August ‘85 -May '86
Watonga Public Schools, Watonga, OK
- Taught high school courses in Fundamentals of Speech.
- Directed one high school theatrical production per semester.
- Coached and supervised approximately thirty students involved in competitive
speech activities during eight to ten festivals per year.
- Technical supervisor for the school's stage during other school activities
Web
Site Manager/Owner, ‘96
- Present
Bridges Web Services, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, MI
- Designed and maintained web sites for individuals, private companies,
community groups and theatre organizations
- Designed and maintained informational web pages regarding African American
drama
and theatre arts. Incorporated some of these pages into my online course
Counselor Coordinator,
June -94/’95/’96
Oklahoma Arts Institute, Oklahoma City, OK
- Supervised twenty-five to thirty counselors and approximately two hundred
high school students
- Planned and distributed daily agenda directing the activities counselors
- Enforced attendance and general behavior and courtesy of the two hundred
students
Tire Builder,
February ‘89 - September '90 /November '79 - May '81
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Lawton, OK
- Operated the Automatic Radial Fullstage tire building machine to assemble
various rubber components into 300 to 500 thirteen, fourteen and fifteen
inch tires during an eight hour shift
- Changed rubber component stock and removed stock ball ups and made minor
machine repairs
Stage Manager/Counselor,
June '86/’87/’88
Oklahoma Arts Institute, Oklahoma City, OK
- Organized, scheduled and set up acting, orchestra and dance rehearsals
and performances in a variety of spaces at the prestigious Oklahoma Summer
Arts Institute
- Supervised a cabin of eight boys in the evenings and checked on their
attendance and behavior during the day
PFC,
SP4, SGT, August '74
- August '78 - Honorable Discharge ('80)
Pershing Missile Crewman,
Instructor, Supervisor
Ft. Sill,
OK and Neu Ulm, West Germany
- Served as a Pershing nuclear missile crewman at Wiley Kasern/Neu Ulm,
Inneringen and Von Steuben nuclear warhead sites in West Germany.
- Served during Pershing nuclear missile field exercises in West Germany
and Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
- Served as a missile crewman, theodolite operator, wrecker operator,
truck driver, supervisor and Pershing Missile instructor
CTAS
124 - Fundamentals of Speech
Taught undergraduate students in an introductory course in public speaking.
Students learned to research, write, prepare and present informative,
persuasive and demonstration speeches
CTAR 150 - Introduction to Theatre
Taught undergraduate students a lecture-demonstration course with the
purpose of fostering appreciation of theatre through an understanding
of its production components, its forms and styles, and its historical
development. Attendance required at select EMU theatre productions. Required
of theatre arts majors and minors
CTAR 150 - Introduction
to Theatre (Online)
Taught undergraduate students a lecture-demonstration course with the
purpose of fostering appreciation of theatre through an understanding
of its production components, its forms and styles, and its historical
development. Attendance required at select EMU theatre productions. Required
of theatre arts majors and minors
CTAR 151 - African
American Theatre: An Introduction
Taught undergraduate students an introductory survey of the roots, purposes
and contemporary manifestations of theatre and drama reflecting the African
American experience. Emphasis will be placed on the reading, analysis
and discussion of representative African American plays
CTAR 151 - African
American Theatre (Online)
Taught undergraduate students entirely on the Internet an introductory
survey of the roots, purposes and contemporary manifestations of theatre
and drama reflecting the African American experience. Emphasis will be
placed on the reading, analysis and discussion of representative African
American plays
CTAR 157 - Beginning
Acting
Taught undergraduate students this course designed for non-theatre majors
desiring basic knowledge and practice of acting skills as related to the
stage. Non-majors will gain experience in self-awareness, relationships,
character analysis, improvisation, scene study and acting exercises. Attention
will be given to overcoming stage fright. For non-theatre majors only
CTAR 158 - Fundamentals
of Acting
Taught undergraduate students this study of the fundamental theories and
techniques of acting. Major emphasis on theatre acting, but consideration
given to radio and television acting. Laboratory hours by arrangement.
Theatre 222 - Black Theatre History Taught undergraduate students an introductory
survey of the roots, purposes and contemporary manifestations of theatre
and drama reflecting the African American experience. Emphasis will be
placed on the reading, analysis and discussion of representative African
American plays (University of Michigan)
Theatre 233/CAAS 342
- Acting and the Black Experience
Taught undergraduate students this course designed as an introduction
to the fundamental skills of acting in the theatre, with special emphasis
on the presentation of drama from a consideration of African-American
dramatic themes and topics. Course content involves discussion and practical
work, including theater games, improvisation, development of warm-up exercises,
monologue, and scene work. All dramatic texts used for monologues and
scene study will come from the works of representative Black playwrights.
Some papers and selected reading, a midterm and final examination are
required (University of Michigan)
AFA 239 - African
American Theatre: Ante-bellum to 1950s (Online)
Taught undergraduate students entirely on the Internet an introductory
survey of the roots, purposes and contemporary manifestations of theatre
and drama reflecting the African American experience. Emphasis will be
placed on the reading, analysis and discussion of representative African
American plays (University of Michigan-Flint)
CTAR 251 - African
American - Theatre: Creative Problems
Taught undergraduate students this practical consideration of those creative
aspects of the theatre production particular to African American theatre.
Emphasis will be placed on the presentation of scenes from African American
theatre
AFA 310 - Performance
Traditions & Aesthetics of the African World (Online)
Taught undergraduate students entirely on the Internet regarding the development
of Black performance in theory and practice in the African world. Emphasis
on theoretical foundations of Black Expression worldwide. (University
of Michigan-Flint)
CTAR 355 - Play Direction
Taught undergraduate students an intensive study of the process of directing
plays. Whenever possible, students in the course will direct a one-act
play for public presentation. Laboratory hours by arrangement
CTAR 379 - African American Musical Theatre
(Online)
Developing an undergraduate course involving a cultural and historical
survey of African American Musical Theatre. The course is to be taught
initially on the Internet and will begin with a survey of the musical
revues, artists and companies during the late 19th Century. The course
will culminate with a survey of the artists, musicals and companies that
present musicals concerning the African American experience as represented
on the stage today
CTAR 479/699 – Call and Response Tour
Designed an undergraduate/graduate level course for students to write,
rehearse and perform plays and musicals for the purpose of touring to
schools and community groups
Member,
McAndless Fellow Committee
Performer, Paper, State of the Black Male in Michigan
Presenter, M.L.K Luncheon
Respondent, Eastern Michigan University Forensics Festivals
Founder and Artistic Director, Idlewild Theatre
Director/Writer, SOARING ON BLACK WINGS
Member, Eastern Michigan University Judicial Appeals Board
Member, Search Committee, Assistant Director of Student Judicial Services
Advisor, Independent Study Projects, Department of Communication and Theatre
Arts
Director, African American Theatre Program, Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts
Director/Performer, African American Theatre Outreach Troupe, Department
of Communication and Theatre Arts
Member, Instruction Committee, Department of Communication and Theatre
Arts
Member, Personnel and Finance Committee, Department of Communication and
Theatre Arts
Member, Search Committees, Department of Communication and Theatre Arts
Member/Chair, Graduate Project Committees, Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts
Member, M.L.K. Planning Committee, Eastern Michigan University
Performer, M.L.K. President’s Luncheon, Eastern Michigan University
Web Site Manager, Theatre and Educational Drama, Department of Communication
and Theatre Arts
Member,
Actors' Equity Association
Workshop Presenter, Various High Schools, MI
Lecturer, Elderwise, Ypsilanti, MI
Online Course Demonstration, Black Theatre Network Conference
Respondent, Region III, American College Theater Festival
Respondent, Region III Irene Ryans, American College Theater Festival
Member, Region III Executive Selection Committee, American College Theater
Festival
Member and Web Site Manager, Black Theatre Network
Respondent, Mid-Michigan Theatre Festival
Acting & Directing Workshop Leader, Annual Conventions, Community
Theatre
Association of Michigan
Respondent, Scholarship Auditions, Community Theatre Association of Michigan
Respondent, One-Act Play Festivals, Michigan Interscholastic Forensics
Association
Respondent, Mid-America Theatre Conference
Respondent, Ypsilanti-Willow Run Branch, NAACP ACT-SO
& REFERENCES
