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James Alexander BondFrom New York to England and regionally across America, James has directed more than 200 productions, including over half of Shakespeare’s canon, numerous musicals and many new works. In 2012, he set a personal record with five separate productions running concurrently in four different states. In schools, summer intensives and privately, James has taught directing, playwriting, acting, comic improv, scene study, theatre history, musical theatre, Shakespeare and audition technique and preparation. He has held key directing and production positions on a number of independent feature films.This year he was interviewed for the upcoming film The Other Fellow, a documentary about living with the famous name. James Bond. A versatile artist, one of his favorite freelance gigs was judging the 2011 Miss Virginia United States Pageant. James holds a BFA in Theatre Management from Ithaca College and a MFA in Directing from the University of California at Davis. He is a proud member in good standing with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), a national theatrical and labor union.

Career Objective

  • To preside over a major regional or seasonal theatre as artistic director, thereby establishing a platform upon which to base my life’s work in professional theatre and academia.
  • To inspire and cultivate the next generation of theatre artists both in the college and university classroom and via the production process.
  • To continue my exploration of the dramatic arts as a guest director concentrating on musical theatre, contemporary and classical plays with a strong emphasis on new works.
  • To direct the entire canon of the works of William Shakespeare, a life-long personal goal.

Education

  • M.F.A. in Directing Theatre from The University of California, Davis (1994)
    UCD had a three-year MFA playwriting program, giving me the opportunity to interact with playwrights as they develop new works.
  • Graduate, Intensive Film Program, New York Film Academy, NYC (1994)
  • B.F.A. in Theatre Management from Ithaca College, NY (1991)
    Graduated with departmental honors.
  • Graduate. Dillard High School of the Performing Arts. Student. Ft Lauderdale, FL (1987)

Additional Training

American Directors Project
Cicely Berry Shakespeare Symposium. (Theatre for a New Audience)

Shakespearean Text Workshop with Derek Jacobi

Catskill Summer Collaborative and Directors' Labs (Ensemble Studio Theatre)

Building the American Musical
A Symposium on the Process of Making Musical Theatre. (Stage Directors & Choreographers' Foundation)

Directing Shakespeare
A Classical Directing Symposium Exploring the Fundamentals and Unique Challenges of Directing Shakespeare. (SDCF)

Directing a New American Theatre
A National Symposium of national theatrical leaders examining the artists' role in the development of relevant economically competitive and theatricallly compelling new works. (SDCF)

James continues to regularly attend lectures, seminars, symposiums and acting classes to better understand and communicate with my collaborators and fellow artists.

*Photo by Kimmer Stout