 Sheila Gordon
Professional Biography
 OVERVIEW:
Twenty-one years combined professional acting, teaching and ensemble work. Member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association. Have taught acting, voice, and movement at the professional and university levels. Held positions as director, director of movement and dialect coach on professional and university productions. Have written, produced and performed solo works which appeared in both Edinurgh Fringe and
Los Angeles Fringe Theatre Festivals. Have participated and presented at national and international theatre conferences.
EDUCATION:
MFA - Acting, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -1998 BFA - Acting, New York University, New York, New York - 1982
TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS
Teaching: Acting, Movement, Voice
Research: Michael Chekhov Technique, Meyerhold’s Biomechanics, Neuro-muscular re-patterning methods
TEACHING AND GUEST LECTURE POSITIONS
Southwest Missouri State University, Associate Professor, Acting and Voice. Teach undergraduate and graduate level courses in Acting, Voice, Movement and Script Analysis. (Stanislavsky, M. Chekhov, experimental styles).
Ron Hayden’s Two Chairs Studio, Austin, Texas, Jan 2000 through April 2002. Taught Movement and Voice to students studying the Meisner Technique.
The Actors’ Place, Austin, Texas, February 1996 through April 2001 Acting. Taught group classes and individuals in beginning, intermediate and professional level technique and scene study. Using Strasberg Method, Michael Chekhov Technique, and text analysis, actors are required to work on scenes, monologues and exercises. Directed writers developing one-person shows for Actors Who Write program.
The University of Texas at Austin, Dept. of Theatre and Dance, October 1995 through May 1997, Movement for Actors. A course outlining psycho-physical approaches to acting and character work. Introduced Feldenkrais, Michael Chekhov and Strasberg repertoire to Junior BFA class preparing Shaw and Shakespearean roles.
Movement and Physical Conditioning Lab. Alignment, balance, breath control, musculo-skeletal awareness, strength training and neuro-muscular repatterning for dancers and actors using machines designed by Joseph Pilates. 
The Pilates Center of Austin, Austin,Texas, August 1994 through July 1995 Body Awareness/Movement. Instructed individuals and small group classes in Pilates Technique. Assessed movement and breathing habits/capabilities of clientele (age range 10 to 70) and designed re-patterning exercise programs accordingly.
The Drama Studio, Berkeley, California January through May, 1990 Acting. Trained young actors in preparation for ensemble acting work. Taught Method, Chekhov and Sulerzhitsky.
TEACHING POSITIONS - WORKSHOPS
Acting: Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre, Blue Lake, California, February, 1993. Taught workshops on Meyerhold’s Biomechanics and Michael Chekhov technique. How to apply and develop psycho-physical movement for characterization.
Voice: University of California, Berkeley, November, January, 1991.
Lecture and Demonstration on the principals of Alexander Technique applied to vocal training for actors. Trained second year graduate students in breathwork and voice production.
Movement: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, December 1990. Trained BFA Theatre students in Biomechanical etudes, “Stab with the Dagger,” and “Slap to the Face.” Assistant directed scene from “Waiting for Godot” for performance at The Minneapolis Museum of Fine Art. Acting: Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, October, 1989. Trained junior college students in Michael Chekhov Technique. Emphasized psychological gesture and physical centers.
Acting: Gitis Institute, Moscow, Russia, March 1989. Co-instructed three separate workshops in Michael Chekhov technique with Academy Award winning actress, Beatrice Straight and casting director, Felicity Mason. Movement: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, October, 1987. Co-instructed workshop in Biomechanics for Freshman and Sophomore BFA students. Basics in counting and rhythm for ensemble awareness and composition. Lessons culminated in performance.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
West Side Story - Coger Theatre, Southwest Missouri State University. Dialect Coach. Coached twenty-nine cast members in New York and Puerto Rican dialects. Work focused on incorporating pronunciation techniques with organic characterization during speaking and singing.
In the Blink of an Eye – Director. Narrative video of original screenplay dealing with spinal chord injury to adolescent boy. Project was recipient of 2003 Funding for Results grant through Southwest Missouri State University.
Translations – Coger Theatre, Southwest Missouri State University. Dialect Coach. Trained actors in Northwest Donegal County and standard British dialects. Work focused on musicality, rhythm and inflection for optimum authenticity. Also coordinated training sessions with classical Greek and Latin specialist to incorporate characters’ recitations of Ovid and Homer.
Mastfor: Russian Constructivist Cabaret - Zellerbach Playhouse, University of California, Berkeley Co-Director. Trained actors in eccentric movement vocabulary “Tea Phys Trenage.” Developed specific ensemble physical Language and stylized character work for performance. November, 1991
Good Treatment for Horses - California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California Co-Director: Researched movement from prompt book of Nikolai Foregger’s 1922 production. Assisted actors in developing individual character movements which incorporated actual gestures from prompt book. December 1991.
A Night in the Old Market, UC Berkeley Department of Dramatic Art Co-Director: Trained actors in Meyerhold’s system of Biomechanics for mainstage production. Physical training to improve actors’ ability to use stylized gesture and create body/voice dynamics for character. November, 1990.
The Raft of the Medusa, The Julia Morgan Theatre, Berkeley, California Director of Movement, Assistant Director. Choreographed young actors to swim through turbulent seas after being bombed by German U-boat. March, 1990.
PERFORMANCE - THEATRE, FILM and TELEVISION
Professional Theatre
Crimes of the Heart Meg The Vandivort Theatre Ctr.
A Tale of Two Cities
by Heather Woodbury Miriam, Vivi The Public Theatre, NY
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Titania Moscow Art Theatre
The Shadow Julia Julie Moscow Art Theatre
Three Sisters Olga Moscow Art Theatre Studio
Medea Medea Moscow Art Theatre Studio
Le Misanthrope Celimene Moscow Art Theatre Studio
Uncle Vanya Yelena Moscow Art Theatre Studio
One Shoe Untied Melanie Dougherty Arts Center
Lucifa (Musical) Lucifa The Vortex Theatre
The Diviners Goldie Guest Artist Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Triumph of Love Leontine Guest Artist Mary Moody Northen Theatre
Broken Glass Harriet Capitol City Playhouse
Repetitions Katelyn Capitol City Playhouse
Girl Gone Carla Hyde Park Theatre
7 Addictions of Anita Anita Berber Bimbo’s 365 (S.F.)
Good Treatment for Horses Ludmilla The Kitchen, NY
Blithe Spirit Ruth B’way Studio Theatre, NY
The Innocence Miss Giddens The Actors Club, NY
Solo Performance, Writing
Bone Hungry Lead The Ravello (L.A.)
Sex, Killing & Shopping Eight Characters L.A. Open Theatre Fest
Edinburgh Fringe Fest
Dom Actura, Moscow
Home for Cont. Theatre, NY
West Bank Theatre Cafe, NY
FILM & TELEVISION
Boy’s Don’t Cry Tina Brandon’s Mom Kimberly Pierce, Dir.
Walker, Texas Ranger J.D. Dixon (Supp) CBS Episodic
For the Love of Tyler Principal ABC Movie of the Week Ruta Wakening Nex Independent Feature
At Risk Trash Visualiner Productions Desperately Ever After Cynthia (Lead) Clear As Moon Prods. “N.B.” Guest Artist BBC
CONFERENCES and DEMONSTRATIONS
• International Global Theatre Experience. Malpils, Latvia. July 2003. Invited to present 3 part workshop entitled: Strasberg Sense Memory through Animal Observation as Applied to Shakespeare.
• International Symposium on DelSarte, Rimini, Italy. July 1992. DelSartian influences on Acting Styles of Early Twentieth Century.
• International Symposium on Vsevelod Meyerhold, Penza, Russia. March 1989. Biomechanics.
• Great Lakes Theatre Festival Stanislavsky Symposium, Cleveland, Ohio. October, 1989. Performance of Original Solo Works.
• International Symposium on Stanislavsky, Paris, France. November, 1988. Biomechanics.
• City University of New York, New York, N.Y. September, 1987. “The Death of Tarelkin,” Performance.
• Kunsthaller, Zurich, Switzerland. June, 1986. “Good Treatment for Horses,” Performance.
• Teatre Am Turm, Frankfurt, Germany, May, 1986. “D.E. (The Destruction of Europe),” Performance.
• Wesleyan College, Connecticut. November, 1986. Demonstration and Lecture on Biomechanics.
• The Kitchen, New York, N.Y. October 1983. “The Iron Foundry at Midnight.” Dance. A re-creation of Nikolai Foregger’s choreography to Alexander Mosselov’s composition.
• Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas. April, 1982. “The Magnanimous Cuckold.” Performance.
ENSEMBLE EXPERIENCE
Actress, Student Instructor - CMU/MAT Graduate Acting Company 1997/98: Member of company devoted to the study and practice of the Stanislavsky System. Rotating responsibility for teaching first section of master classes, and leading warm-ups for rehearsals and performances.
Actress, Dialect Coach, Movement Research - Mastfor II 1980-1987: Co-founded company which professionally toured the U.S. and Europe, specializing in Russian Constructivist performance style for the stage. Performed leading roles in all plays and dances, instructed actors in Meyerhold’s Biomechanics and vocal production.
Actress, The Actors Club Theatre, Brooklyn, New York, September 1983 through March, 1984: Company devoted to acting workshops and rehearsals, leading to showcase productions. Technique in workshops focused on Eric Morris and Sanford Meisner Techniques.
MEMBERSHIPS, CERTIFICATIONS, AFFILIATIONS:
Actors’ Equity Association, Screen Actors’ Guild, VASTA, Pilates Method Alliance, International University Global Theatre Experience, NYU Alumni Association.
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