SBCC Theatre Group Welcomes Gros And Myers To The Artistic Staff

R. Michael Gros and Rachel Myers have joined the Santa Barbara City College Theatre Group as faculty members and as resident Director and Costume Designer respectively beginning in August 2010.

R. Michael Gros most recently served as a resident faculty director and member of the graduate faculty in the NAST accredited Theatre program at Kansas State University. He is the former Artistic Director of PCPA Theaterfest where he produced or directed more than 70 Equity productions during the 2000 - 2006 seasons. At Kansas State, he directed Guys and Dolls, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Fiddler on the Roof, Romeo and Juliet, The Guys, and Once Upon a Mattress. In the winter of 2010 Michael served as a Guest Artist Director for Oklahoma State University, directing Fifth of July. Michael has twice directed at the 24 Hour Play Festival for the William Inge Festival. Michael has worked at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, South Coast Repertory Theatre, and the Center Theatre Group. He served as Dean of Fine, Performing and Language Arts at Ohlone College. He was an assistant professor and coordinator of the graduate program in arts administration at The University of Akron, and as a lecturer at the California Institute of the Arts, CSU Northridge, and El Camino College. Michael served as the Conference Planner, and is currently Chair, for the Directing Focus Group of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. He is a current Board Member and formerly served as a Regional Section Chair, and as the Commissioner of Management for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). He participated in Theatre Communication Group's New Artistic Leaders Institute and New Works, New Ways forum. He was a 2005 fellow in the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. Michael has taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses including acting, directing, arts leadership, Greek and Roman Theatre, professional development, production and stage management, and technical production. He is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Michael received his MFA (in directing) from UC Irvine, BA (Magna cum Laude) from UCLA, and AA from El Camino College. He will join Katie Laris, and Director Emeritus Rick Mokler as resident directors of SBCC Theatre Group.

Rachel Myers is a costume and scenic designer for theatre and film. Design credits include work at the following theatres: South Coast Repertory, Center Theatre Group, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Getty Villa, Robert Wilson's Watermill Center, Hudson Theatre, The Theatre at Boston Court, A NoiseWithin, The Rubicon Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Falcon Theatre, El Portal Theatre, Circus Theatricals and Disjecta Theatre. She has production designed film, video and commercial projects for such clients as The History Channel, Ray Ban, L'oreal, and Getty Images with producing companies, Triskelion Entertainment, LLF Productions, Cutwater and Left Right Entertainment. She has also worked on productions with Warner Bros. Ltd, NeoFight Film, The Waiting Company, Jaffle Productions and CBS television. Awards include Best Art Direction at Festival de Cine Internacional de Barcelona, Leo Lerman Fellowship, Donald Oenslager Award and the Virginia Princehouse Allen Award.

She is also a freelance illustrator and has collaborated on several children's books.

Rachel received her MFA from the Yale School of Drama and her BA from Scripps College and the Pomona College Department of Theatre and Dance. She is a member of United Scenic Artists 829. Prior to SBCC she served as faculty at California State University Channel Islands. Rachel will replace the recently retired Mary Gibson as the Director of Costume and Makeup at SBCC.

While the Garvin Theatre and Drama Music Complex is being remodeled SBCC Theatre Arts Department and Theatre Group will continue to do productions in the intimate Interim Theatre on SBCC's West Campus.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.