RUBEN POLENDO
(USA/MEXICO)
Artistic Director, Theater Mitu
Program Director, Bangkok Artist Intensive
Instructor: Theater Mitu Whole Theater Workshop

Rubén Polendo is artistic director of Mitu; recently applauded as “one of the ten top, hot companies in New York” and “exciting…outside the boundaries of standard Western drama” (The New York Times). Polendo has written and directed several works with his company including: Canticle, The Legend of The Kinnaree; The Ramayana; The Mahabharata; The Odyssey; Four Saints in Mexico (inspired by G. Stein); Catholica; But Above All...(inspired by A. Chekhov). Adaptations include Hamletmachine (inspired by H. Muller); The Shakespeare Project (an adaptation of Macbeth and King Lear); The Noh Cycle (inspired by Zeami); The Tutor (based on texts by Brecht and Büchner), Dhammashok (as developed at the Sundance Theater Lab and presented as part of The Mark Taper Forum ON STAGE series). Most recently, Mitu developed their new piece, DRC (or how I learned to act in eight steps) at the Sundance Institute’s Theater Laboratory in Yulee, FL. This past year, Rubén directed Sister Sarah Brother Sky (an adaptation of Guys and Dolls) at NYU’s Playwrights Horizons Theater School, directed Blind Mouth Singing, a production with the National Asian American Theater Company and wrote and directed Moonchild, a production with New York University’s Graduate Acting Program. Previously, Mitu staged and produced Ahraihsak in New York, premiered two pieces in Bangkok, Thailand (and adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a devised piece entitled String of Fragmentation), and (in collaboration with New York University’s Drama Department) produced an adaptation of the American musical Hair. Polendo and Mitu’s work has been seen in various theaters in New York and regionally including: New York Theatre Workshop, The Public, INTAR, Blue Light, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, A.C.T., McCarter, Mark Taper Forum, The Alliance, Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati, Perseverance Theater and South Coast Rep. Polendo holds a Biochemistry Degree (Trinity University), an MFA in directing (UCLA School of Theatre) and an MA in non-Western theatre (Lancaster University, UK). Other credits include: Co-director of Theater Mitu’s Bangkok Summer Artist Intensive (Patravadi Theatre, Thailand); European Artist Exchange Award (The Salzburg Festival): Eastern European Artist Exchange (Romania). Polendo and various company members teach Mitu’s Training Methodology called Whole Theater at several institutions including NYU/Playwrights Horizons Studio, Juilliard, Bard College, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, National University of Mexico, Patravadi Theater/ Bangkok, CUNY- Graduate Program. Ruben Polendo is Artistic Associate at New York Theater Workshop where Mitu is presently Company-in-Residence.

SCOTT SPAHR
(USA)
Associate Artistic Director, Theater Mitu
Instructor: Theater Mitu Physical Theater Creation

Scott Spahr is Associate Artistic Director of Theater Mitu. Spahr has created scenic designs and choreography/movement for several works with his company including: DRC (or How I Learned to Act in Seven Steps); Ahraihsak; Happy Accident #1; The Ramayana; The Odyssey; Catholica; But Above All...(inspired by A. Chekhov, co-writer with R. Polendo); The Tutor (based on texts by Brecht and Büchner). Other credits include, as choreographer – Sister Sarah/Brother Sky (PHTS); Hair (The Skirball Center); Happy Accident #2, String of Fragmentation and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (both at the Patravadi Theater, Bangkok); Cabaret (The Forum); Lonestar and Three (The Ulster Ballet Company); Uninvited (Just Feet From Broadway); Jewel (Serve da Bomb, San Francisco). Other Scenic Design credits include: The Raven Odyssey (Perseverance Theater); Sleepwalkers (The Alliance); The Hologram Theory (Blue Light); Jolson: A Vaudeville (Pelican Theater). Spahr and various company members teach Mitu’s Training Methodology called Whole Theater at several institutions including NYU/Playwrights Horizons Studio, Juilliard, Bard College, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, National University of Mexico, Patravadi Theater/Bangkok, CUNY- Graduate Program. Other teaching credits include: NYU (Cap 21); The Saugerties Ballet Center: Negoya Ballet; Broadway Dance Center. Directing credits include: Julian Brightman, LIVE! (The Duplex); Songbox (Don’t Tell Mama); The Wrong Pursuit (Trilogy Theater). Performing credits include: (Mitu) Palabra in Catholica: Book 2; Buddy in But Above All...; Pawan in Dhammashok; (on Broadway) Chicago; On the Town; Jerome Robbins Broadway; The National Tours of Cats and La Cage aux folles as well as the International Tour of Sophisticated Ladies. Spahr is also proud to have been a member of the reconstruction team for the hit Broadway musical Fosse.

HILARY AUSTIN
(USA)
Company Management Director, Mitu

Hilary Austin (Company Management Director and Resident Stage Manager) With the company, she has stage managed Canticle, Sister Sarah, Brother Sky, Blind Mouth Singing, Raven Odyssey (which premiered at the Perseverance Theater in Juneau, AK) and the reinvestigation of the American musical HAIR, as well as several workshops and readings including DRC (or how I learned to act in eight steps) which was developed at the Sundance Institute’s Theater Laboratory in Yulee, FL. She has also worked with Roy Gabay Productions, which has allowed her to stage manage several workshops including two of Bill T. Jones's new piece, Fela Kuti, and a workshop of the Off-Broadway musical, Walmartopia. She has also worked on several events including: Hip Hop Theater Festival '05, '06, '07 (SM), ESPN Upfront 2007 (ASM), Tisch Gala '06 (ASM), Word of Mouth Festival (ASM), the Obie Awards (PA), the Lucielle Lortel Awards (PA), State Farm Industrial (PA). Other New York credits include: Rocket to the Moon (SM), Blueprint (SM), Baryshnikov-Tisch Fellowship (SM), Working (ASM), All Good Things (ASM), My Life As a Fairy Tail (PA), and Miss Julie (PA). Hilary is a graduate of New York University's Drama Department, Technical Production Track and recipient of their award for Outstanding Achievement.

JUSTIN NESTOR
(USA)
Justin Nestor serves as an Adjunct Artist with Mitu and has collaborated on pieces such as Sister Sarah Brother Sky (Playwrights Horizons Theater School) and acted in several projects including; Hair (NYU/The Skirball Center), workshops of Saint (blank) and Mexico City, and DRC (or how I learned to act in eight steps) at The Sundance Institutes' Theater Laboratory at White Oak. Having graduated from NYU's Tisch School of The Arts he is now working as a teaching assistant at Playwrights Horizons Theater School for classes teaching Mitu's training methodology of Whole Theater. Along with his studies at NYU and PHTS he has spent time studying theater and spirituality in India as well as with the company in Thailand. Other acting credits include: Kulygin in Three Sisters (Columbia Graduate Dept.), Abu Hassam in There Was and There Wasn't (NYU), Neil in Fair Fight (NYU/PHTS), Last Days in Vegas (PHTS), Oedipus in Seneca's Oedupus (PHTS), Mr. Bundy in Mr. Bundy (PHTS), Burrs in The Wild Party (The Culture Project), Doctor/Trouble in In The Blood (PHTS), God in Three Mystery Plays from The York Pageant Cycle (PHTS), Wounds to The Face (Room5001).

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