Staci Mize

staci.mize@gmail.com

Education

Master of Fine Arts — University of California Los Angeles 

Major: Directing 

Thesis: “Film and Politics on Stage — Sophocles’ Antigone” 

Awards: 

• Emerging Director Award

• Gilbert Cates Fellowship 

• Army Archerd Fellowship

• Judith and Milton R Stark Scholarship

Bachelor of Arts — University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 

Major: Visual and Performing Arts - Theatre

Awards:

• Summa Cum Laude, Highest Distinction

Professional Memberships:

Actors Equity Association

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society — Eligible Membership Candidate

Teaching Experience

University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA | 2020-2023

Graduate Teaching Associate — Responsibilities for this position include:

• Lead Graduate Teaching Assistant, including teaching courses with 60+ students

• Assistant teaching undergraduate devising and ensemble classes, as well as introductory and advanced directing courses; organizing and attending TA meetings with instructors

• Grading papers, performances, and class participation 

• Overseeing and supporting rehearsals

• Research, management of, and instruction on software applications and other technologies to ensure top-tier performance experiences during remote instruction

• Offering feedback and conducting workshops for scene and devised development

Courses Taught

• Introduction to Performance

• Introduction to Directing

• Advanced Directing

• Acting and Performance in Film

Graduate Director —

• Productions: Sophocles’ Antigone, Lauren Yee’s in a word, Eugene Ionesco’s The Lesson

• Overseeing preparation and development of design elements by faculty and graduate designers

• Preparation and conducting of workshops:

• Physical theatre

• Camera

• Puppetry

• Preparation and design of shadow puppets

• Organizing and conducting rehearsals

• Research and preparation of technologies for remote performance

• Working with Disney Imagineers and students to playtest different softwares and techniques for remote performance

• Communicating with design and production team; 

• Communicating with student actors;

• Assisting in grading of individuals on course mastery. 

Internships and Residencies

Production Management Internship:

The Public Theater (2017-2018) - New York, New York

Productions: 

After - Andrew Schneider

Margarete - Janek Turkowski

Re-Member Me - Dickie Beau

The  Gates - Adam Gopnik

How to be a Rock Critic - Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen

Antiginon - Teatro El Publico

We’re Only Alive for a Short Time - David Cale

Parable of the Sower - Toshi and Bernice Johnson Reagon

Choir Choir Choir with David Byrne

Mission Hamlet  - George & Co 

Memory Retrograde - harunalee

Shasta Geaux Pop!  - Ayesha Jordan & Charlotte Brathwaite 

Residencies:

The Fever — 600 Highwaymen 

Development, Production, & Performance

Gallery of Contemporary Art - University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Under the Radar Festival 2017 - The Public Theater - New York, New York

Frankenstein — Manual Cinema

Development, Production, & Performance

ENT Center for the Arts Opening Gala - University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Under the Radar Festival 2019 - The Public Theater - New York, New York

Creative Activity — Directing and Devising 

Upcoming Project - Title to be Announced | 2024

Upcoming production in Highland Park area of Los Angeles. Company and title to be announced.

The Bird in the Hand | 2024

Harvey Mudd College

Bill Alves

New opera based on the Avian Gospels utilizing shadow puppetry, physical theater, and experimental sounds.

Swans | 2024

Tobiasz Sebastian Berg

Upcoming residency - locations TBD. This adaptation of the Ballet Swan Lake utilizes design and performance by and for visually-impaired dancers. 

This Emancipation Thing* | 2023

REDCAT

Sara Lyons 

Assistant Director for the world premiere of this devised archival piece on feminism over the last 60 years. Directed both stage and filmic elements.

Les Mamelles De Tiresias** | 2023

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Francis Poulenc 

Directed both the stage production as well as live cameras for archive and streaming.

Quake (World Premiere)** | 2023

The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Amanda Hollander, Kaye Rhie 

Directed both the stage production as well as cameras for archive and streaming.

Antigone** | 2022

University of California Los Angeles 

Sophocles, Anne Carson 

A political exploration of bodily autonomy, human rights, and democracy through the use of devised movement, physical theatre, live cameras, and projections. 

Gorgeous.** | 2022

Anna Watts

This deeply devised new work stemming from a fan theory about Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss explores the intense pressure to balance one’s identity with the expectations and demands of society. 

Manic Pixie Nightmare Bitch** | 2022

Anna Watts 

A new one-woman show examining the pressures put on child athletes and the negative impacts it has on their relationships  and self worth as adults. This production utilized gymnastics, dance, and music to take us into the internal processes of a 29-year old woman after a one-night-stand.

The Feminine Urge to Disappear** | 2022

Anna Watts 

A new twist on absurdist theatre depicting the layers of assault on women in society, from their love of oat milk lattes to sexual violence in the workplace - complete with TikTok dances in silence and rhythmic “body counts”. 

The Queen, My Lord, is Dead** | 2022

Tomàs Peirre Serrate, Alejandra Villarreal Martinez, Michelle Rice 

World Premier of a new one-woman opera of the moments before Lady MacBeth’s suicide. Directed Cameras for the documentary and streaming of this production. 

in a word | 2022

University of California Los Angeles 

Lauren Yee 

Contorting the magical realism of Lauren Yee’s early work, this production utilized shadow puppetry, physical theatre, and original compositions. 

The Rake’s Progress** | 2022

University of California Los Angeles

Igor Stravinsky 

A contemporary opera in three acts utilizing a flexible set and heavily devised movement. I acted as an assistant director on this piece, covering movement, acting, and some staging. Directed live cameras for archive and streaming.

The Lesson | 2021

University of California Los Angeles  

Eugene Ionesco 

This production leveraged the advantages of working on zoom, contorting the visuals and audio of the performance live while also utilizing a multi-camera stream of the actors.

Christmas Reunion | 2020

Tennessee Stage Company 

A new work on the complexities of family relationships, especially during the holidays.

Not I | 2019

Self Produced

Samuel Beckett

This production used American Sign Language and focused solely on the performer’s hands rather than mouth. 

Waiting for Godot | 2017

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

A mixed gender exploration of humanity, relationships, and waiting.

Plaything* | 2016

Self Produced

Staci Mize & Brittany Merrit

An abstract look at sexual harassment leading to sexual violence as told through true stories of men and women

Match* | 2016

Self Produced 

Staci Mize

An object-based devised piece about finding your perfect match.

*Playwright and Director

** Directed Live stream and recording of production

Creative Activity — Acting

The Man From Earth | 2019

Linda

Theater Knoxville Downtown - Knoxville, Tennessee 

Peer Gynt | 2018

Peer Gynt, Puppeteer 

Theatreworks & University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Frankenstein | 2018

The Creature, Elizabeth Frankenstein 

Manual Cinema (Workshop) - Colorado Springs, Colorado 

Cabaret | 2017

Fraulein Schneider 

Theatreworks & University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

The Santaland Diaries | 2017

Elf 

TheatreWorks - Colorado Springs, Colorado (LORT)

Top Girls | 2016

Joyce/Isabella Bird

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 

La Ronde | 2017

Marie

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs 

Richard III | 2016

Buckingham 

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

The Importance of Being Earnest | 2014

Gwendolyn 

Western Wyoming 

Training & Workshops

Alexander Technique  - Milka Djordjevich (REDCAT, UCLA)

Clown & Bouffon - Kevin Landis, University of Colorado

Making American Musicals - Oskar Eustis (The Public Theater), Jeanine Tesori

Race & the American Stage - Idris Goodwin (Colorado College), Brian Quijada

Shakespeare in Performance - Tina Packer - Shakespeare & Co

Puppetry & Storytelling  - Manual Cinema 

Gender & Social Change - P. Carl (HowlRound), Tina Packer (Shakespeare & Co), Carey Perloff (American Conservatory Theater)

Devised Theatre - 600 Highwaymen 

Shakespeare Performance - Jeffrey Horrowitz, Theatre for a New Audience 

Shakespeare Performance  - Jay O. Sanders & Maryann Plunkett 

Devising  - Bill Bowers 

Props - Jay Duckworth, The Public Theater  

Life & Career - Allison Janney 

Monologues  - Olympia Dukakis 

Building Puppets - Eileen Blumenthal 

Invited Guest Lectures

Shadow Puppetry and Storytelling 

University of California Los Angeles (2022) 

Puppetry Techniques - Perry Daniels

Absurdist Theatre and ‘Waiting for Godot’

Pikes Peak Community College (2017)

Intro to Theatre - Wendy Harms