J. R. Sullivan

 

Curriculum Vitae

 

Director, Writer

 

Member, SSDC; AEA

Contact:  Sheldon Lubliner

                Professional Artists

                321 West 44^th Street, Suite 605

                New York, New York 10036

                212.247.8770 (Tel.)

                212.977.5686 (Fax)

                sheldon@professionalartists.net

 

 

 

2002 – Present

Associate Artistic Director, Utah Shakespearean Festival

Serving on the Festival’s artistic management team while also directing two productions each season. Supervising the ongoing artistic management of Festival productions from planning to pre-production to performance. Assisting in play selection, casting, and the selection of directors and designers. Participating in long-range strategic planning as well as serving as a spokesperson for the Festival at selected press and public events.  

 

1972 – 1994

Founder and Producing Artistic Director, New American Theater; Rockford, Illinois

Produced 22 seasons totaling more than 200 productions, directing three to five of these productions each season. Responsible for creating and guiding the artistic mission and plan for the company, as well as developing and maintaining company policies and procedures. Established and coordinated programs in Development and Marketing; also established Outreach and Community Service programs that included Touring (schools, community centers, parks, seniors) and Education. Created two adjunct performance companies, an all-city high school troupe called the Young American Theater, and a community artists program, the Black Theater Ensemble.

Spearheaded and successfully concluded a 1.8 million dollar campaign to renovate a central city location into the New American Theater Center in 1985. 

 

1982-1989

Founder and Producing Artistic Director, Beloit College Festival Theatre; Beloit, Wisconsin

In association with Beloit College, established a summer season home for the New American Theater Company. Produced 8 seasons totaling 27 productions, directing one to two of these each season. Responsible for administering the artistic and management plan for the theater. Worked in conjunction with college administrative personnel in development, marketing, and public relations activities.

 

Representative Directing Credits:

 

Off-Broadway

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	Wilde	Pearl Theatre Co.	2008
BIOGRAPHY	Behrman	Pearl Theatre Co.	2007
WIDOWERS’ HOUSES	Shaw	Pearl Theatre Co.	2005
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING	Shakespeare	Pearl Theatre Co.	2002

     

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

AS YOU LIKE IT	Shakespeare	2007
ROOM SERVICE	Murray/Boretz	2005

                                                   

Utah Shakespearean Festival

GASLIGHT (ANGEL STREET)	Hamilton	2008
OTHELLO	Shakespeare	2008
‘ART’	Reza/Hampton	2007
KING LEAR	Shakespeare	2007
MERCHANT OF VENICE	Shakespeare	2006
HAMLET	Shakespeare	2006
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL	Shakespeare	2005
STONES IN HIS POCKETS	Jones	2005
MACBETH	Shakespeare	2004
1 HENRY IV	Shakespeare	2004
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST	Wilde	2003
RICHARD III	Shakespeare	2003
I HATE HAMLET	Rudnick	2002
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE	Kesselring	2001
DRIVING MISS DAISY	Uhry	2000
YOU NEVER CAN TELL	Shaw	1999

       

Regional

WITTENBERG (Premiere)	Davalos	Arden Theatre	2008
DOUBT	Shanley	Milwaukee Rep	2007
BORN YESTERDAY	Kanin	Milwaukee Rep	2006
STONES IN HIS POCKETS	Jones	New American	2006
LAUGHING STOCK	Morey	Milwaukee Rep	2005
YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU	Hart & Kaufman	Milwaukee Rep	2004
BARRYMORE	Luce	Milwaukee Rep	2004
THE SYRINGA TREE	Gien	Studio Theatre (Wash. DC)	2004
THE FOREIGNER	Shue	Milwaukee Rep	2003
BARRYMORE	Luce	American Players	2003
THE LARAMIE PROJECT	Kauffman/Tectonic Group   Madison Rep		2003
PROOF	Auburn	Milwaukee Rep	2003
1001 AFTERNOONS IN CHICAGO	Peditto/Hecht	Prop Theatre	2002
A DELICATE BALANCE	Albee	Delaware Th. Co.	2002
LOBBY HERO	Lonergan	Studio Theatre	2002
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS	Mamet	Delaware Th. Co.	2001
WILD DISTANT STAR (Premiere)	Smith-Melton	Southwest Rep	2001
WAITING FOR GODOT	Beckett	Milwaukee Chamber Theatre	2001
WIT	Edson	Milwaukee Rep	2001
TRUDY BLUE	Norman	Studio Theatre	2001
BETTY’S SUMMER VACATION	Durang	Studio Theatre	2000
PYGMALION	Shaw	Milwaukee Chamber Theatre	2000
OF MICE AND MEN	Steinbeck	Milwaukee Rep	2000
DRACULA	Dietz	Milwaukee Rep	1999
THE DESK SET	Marchant/Ephron	Studio Theatre	1999
THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA	Williams	Milwaukee Chamber Theatre	1999
THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO	Uhry	Milwaukee Rep	1998
WILD OATS	O’Keefe	American Players	1998
ONE TOUCH OF VENUS	Nash/Weill	Chi. Light Opera	1998
THE LAST SURVIVOR (Premiere)	Reissa	Northlight Theatre	1998
INSPECTING CAROL	Sullivan	Milwaukee Rep	1997
GOOD	Taylor	Theatre X	1997
CYRANO DE BERGERAC	Rostand/Burgess	American Players	1997
THE FOREIGNER	Shue	Madison Rep	1997
1001 AFTERNOONS IN CHICAGO (Premiere)	Peditto/Hecht	Live Bait Theatre	1997
ALL IN THE TIMING	Ives	Milwaukee Rep	1997
KING JOHN	Shakespeare	Motley Crew	1996
THE COUNTRY WIFE	Wycherley	American Players	1996
UNQUESTIONED INTEGRITY	Hunt	Onyx Theatre	1996
WONDERFUL TENNESSEE	Friel	Touchstone Theatre	1995
FAITH HEALER	Friel	Turn Around/Steppenwolf Th.	1995
EVELYN & THE POLKA KING	Olive	Next Act Theatre	1994
I HATE HAMLET	Rudnick	Madison Rep	1993
THE CHASTITUTE (USA Premiere)	Keane	Milwaukee Rep	1989
THE PUPPETMASTER OF LODZ (USA Premiere)	Segal/O’Connor	Milwaukee Rep	1988
BENEFACTORS	Frayn	Northlight Theatre	1987

 

 

New American Theater (representative list)

CARELESS LOVE (Premiere)             BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY

DANCING AT LUGHNASA              THE GRAPES OF WRATH

OUR TOWN                                       EVELYN AND THE POLKA KING

OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD                STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

SHIRLEY VALENTINE                     VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE

ROMEO AND JULIET                       AS YOU LIKE IT

TAMING OF THE SHREW                AMADEUS

CANDIDE                                           EQUUS

TALLEY’S FOLLY                             FIFTH OF JULY

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

 

Festival Theatre (representative list)

THE BUNKHOUSE (Premiere)           THE GIN GAME

PRIVATE LIVES                                CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

OF MICE AND MEN                         A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

 

International

 

Vasil Drumev Dramatic Theatre, Shumen, Bulgaria

(Under the aegis of the International Theatre Institute and the United States Information Agency)

ALL MY SONS                       Miller                    1988

ON GOLDEN POND              Thompson             1989

 

Turgenev Dramatic Theatre, Orel, Russia

FOOL FOR LOVE                   Shepard                1991

 

 

University and College

THE RIVALS                          Sheridan

Penn State University MFA Program                      2006

 

THE COUNTRY WIFE           Wycherley            

University of South Carolina MFA Program            2006

 

LOVE’S LABOURS LOST      Shakespeare

University of South Carolina MFA Program            2004

 

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN Wilde                  

University of California/Irvine MFA Program          2003

 

ARCADIA                               Stoppard

Beloit College                                                        2000

 

ARMS AND THE MAN           Shaw

University of Delaware Professional Theatre

Training Program (PTTP)                                      1998

 

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU

                                                Kaufman & Hart

University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee

MFA Professional Theatre Training Program         1997

 

MISS JULIE                             Strindberg

University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee

MFA Professional Theatre Training Program         1996

 

BELOIT COLLEGE Productions 1979-1985

SCAPINO!                                 MOONCHILDREN

SPOKESONG                           13 RUE DE L’AMOUR

MINNESOTA MOON              SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS

 

Teaching

Instructor, Second City Training Center, Chicago, Illinois

Beginning Acting/Scene Study                                     1994 -1998 

Visiting Instructor, Beloit College Department of Theatre Arts,

Beloit, Wisconsin

Intermediate and Advanced Acting, Auditioning, Directing, Theatre Management 1979 – 1988

 

Instructor, New American Theater Drama School, Rockford, Illinois

Acting, Theatre History                                               1972 – 1990

 

Writing/Producing/Performing

“J. R. Sullivan’s HOMETOWN HOLIDAY”

Fifteen Seasons, in Performance and Live Broadcast, WNIU-WNIJ,

Northern Public Radio (Rockford/Dekalb, Illinois)     1994 – 2008

 

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE        from Austen

Adapted in collaboration with Joseph Hanreddy          2008

 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL         from Dickens            1991

 

THE NEW SPOON RIVER      from Masters            1985

 

FIREHOUSE RITES (original play)                            1978

 

AN EVENING WITH BEN HECHT

                                                from Hecht                 1972

Performed as one-man show                                      1972 – 2006

 

Acting (representative list)

DANCING AT LUGHNASA             Michael

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE              Mortimer Brewster

GUYS AND DOLLS                          Nathan Detroit

THE FRONT PAGE                           Walter Burns

WHOSE LIFE IS IT, ANYWAY?      Ken Harrison

JOE EGG                                            Brian

THREE MEN ON A HORSE             Patsy

HUGHIE                                             Erie Smith

ARMS AND THE MAN                    Bluntschli    

AN AMERICAN DREAM                 Daddy

 

Other

Member, American Delegation, International Theatre Institute, 1984.

          One of five American theater directors invited to visit and observe the

work of theater artists in West Berlin, East Berlin, Bulgaria, France.

Member, Illinois Arts Council Theater Panel, 1986-1988, 1990-1992.

Guest Commentator, Northern Public Radio, WNIU-WNIJ, 1991-1994.

 

Awards/Citations

Rockford Park District Distinguished Service Award – 1994

Beloit College Distinguished Alumni Award – 1991

The Mayor’s Arts Award (Rockford) – 1990

Honorary Life Member, Illinois Theatre Association – 1982

Rockford Chamber of Commerce Forward Rockford Award – 1981

Rockford Jaycees Distinguished Service Award – 1979

 

Education

Bachelor of Arts, Beloit College – 1972

Theatre Arts/English Composition