Mark McQuown
Director | Play writer | screen Writer | Acting Instructor
Bio
Mark McQuown is an Award Winning/Produced Playwright and Screenwriter with credits on the IMDB, for the film PJ (2008) starring John Heard, Vincent Pastore, Robert Picardo, and Hallie Kate Eisenberg.
Mr. McQuown has been honored as a Quarter Finalist in the 1997 Chesterfield Screenwriting Fellowship with Pier 21, as a Semi-Finalist in the 1998 Chesterfield Screenwriting Fellowship with The China Tiger, and a Quarter Finalist in the 2000-2001 Scriptapalooza with Jane, The Legend of Mountain Charley. McQuown’s Graduate School won fourth place in The 2006 Winter Script Network Contest in Los Angeles.
Mr. Mc Quown is the recipient of the 1997 Santa Clarita International Film Festival, Animation Division Winner with The Rocking Horse Christmas, the 2000 Telluride Independent Film Festival with The Tahoe Signal, the 2002 Telluride Independent Film Festival with Dot Gone, and the 2002-2003 Key West Independent Film Festival with Pier 21.
Mr. McQuown was a Finalist, along with co-writer Donna Lizzio, in The International Family Film Festival, Animation genre with The Cat and The Rat, 2005 at The Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City.
Mr. McQuown possess an MFA in Directing from The School of Theater, Film and Television at U.C.L.A. and is a member of The Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA, Actors Equity Association, along with The New York Dramatist Guild, and The Association of Los Angeles Playwrights.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
B.S. California State Polytechnic University, 1969, Theatre
M.F.A. University of California Los Angeles, 1974, Directing
Teaching Experience
1969-70 Lecturer in Theater: Scripps College of the Claremont Colleges Claremont, California
1971-74 Teaching Assistant: University of California Los Angeles, School of Theatre
1974-75 Chairman: New Shakespeare Company of San Francisco, Actor Training Program
1977-78 Head of Acting Division: University of Colorado at Boulder, Department of Theatre and Dance
Acting Teacher: Vannoy Talent Agency, Denver, Colorado
1980-81 Acting Teacher: New York Academy of Dramatic Art, Phil Nolan Executive Director
1981-89 Free Lance Acting Teacher: New York City
1991-94 Staff Member: School of Theatre, California Institute of The Arts Valencia, California
1994-96 Faculty: School of Theatre, California Institute of The Arts, Head of Props/Facility Manager for all theaters
1997-98 Faculty: School of Technical Arts, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong
2001-03 Technical Director: Department of Theatre, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, California
2006-14 Associate Faculty: Department of Theatre Arts, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, Acting Teacher
2008 Theatre Arts Instructor: Santiago Canyon College, Orange, CA, Introduction To Theatre
2009 Technical Director/Designer: Saddleback College, Theatre Arts Department, Mission Viejo, Ca
2010– 14 The American Musical and Dramatic Academy of Los Angeles (AMDA)
2014 Adjunct Faculty: Cerritos Community College, Theater Arts Department, Norwalk, California
Professional Experience
1980-89 Artistic Director: Sirius Theatre Company, Boulder,
1990-91 Production Manager/Second Director: Purple Rose Theatre Company, Jeff Daniels Executive Director, Chelsea, MI
1992-93 Company Manger/Grant Writer: American Renegade Theatre Company, North Hollywood, California
Film Actor, Stage Actor
2002-2003 Technical Director: Boston Court Theatre, Pasadena, California
2005-2006 Production Manager: Saddleback College, Fine Arts Division, Mission Viejo, California
2006-2007 Free Lance Art Director, Assistant Art Director & Production Carpenter: Motion Picture and Television
Professional Director/ Playwright/Screenwriter: (A list of Films and Television Shows is available on request)
2008 Prop Master: Girl’s Night the musical from England playing at The Coronet Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA
Art Director, Unsolved Mysteries on Fox Television starring Dennis Farina
DIRECTING EXPERIENCE
(Partial list)
Macbeth by William Shakespeare: The Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival Santa Clarita, California, 2012
The Tempest by William Shakespeare: The Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival Santa Clarita, California 2010
The Robber Bridegroom (the musical): Hart High School Newhall, California, 2007
Museum by Tina Howe: Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, 2006
Keys To The Kingdom by Mark Mc Quown: Theatre Unlimited, Hollywood California, 1997
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare: Santa Clarita Rep., Santa Clarita, California, 1996
On The Verge by Eric Overmeyer: California Institute of The Arts, School of Theatre Production, 1994
The Triumph of Death by Frederic Rzewski: California Institute of The Arts, School of Music Production, 1992
Eleemosynar by Lee Blessing: Sirius Theatre Company, Boulder, Colorado, 1990
Go Back For Murder by Agatha Christie: St. Bart’s Playhouse, New York City, Off Broadway, 1988
Noises Off by Michael Frayn: The Guild Theatre, Boulder, Colorado, 1986
Across The Universe: Original, Black, Sci-Fi Musical The 18th Street Theatre, New York City, Off Off Broadway, 1984
Equus by Peter Schaffer: Nomads Playhouse, Boulder, Colorado
CREATIVE EXPERIENCE
Collage; An original play script developed by Mark Mc Quown and performed in the Los Angeles area in 1967. Winner of the Riverside, California Original Playwriting Contest, 1967
Twice Poets; An original script collated from the works of T.S. Eliot and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, performed at California State Polytechnic University, Department of Theatre and Dance
Goats; An original script by the Emmy Award Nominee Bob Eisele and directed by Mark Mc Quown for The American Theatre Festival. Winner of the Region 1 Award for Best Original Script and Best Production, 1974
Harry There Ain’t Nobody Here But You; An original script by Bob Eisele and directed by Mark McQuown at UCLA, 1972 and again in San Francisco by The Others Company of San Francisco, 1975
The Measures Taken; Mark Mc Quown directed this group project for the New Shakespeare Company of San Francisco, Actor Training Program, 1974
PERFORMANCE BACKGROUND
Ten years actor training
Two years Modern Dance Training
Performance in over thirty plays with a lead in over half of the productions
Actor: California Institute of The Arts, School of Theatre, Professional Acting Company, 1996
Actor: Free Lance, New York City, 1980-89
Actor: University of Colorado at Boulder, Faculty in Residence, 1977-80
Actor: The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Santa Maria, California, the 1971 Company
Actor: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder, Colorado, 1977
Actor: United States Army Special Services Program, Europe, 1969
Actor: Films, Television, Commercials, 1974-76
Actor: Claremont Shakespeare Festival, Claremont, California, 1964-65
Actor: Member Actor’s Equity Association & The Screen Actor’s Guild 1985-2010
PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL THEATRE SERVICE AND PARTICIPATION
1967-69 Entertainment Specialist, United States Army Europe, Kaiserslautern, Germany & the Rhin-Phalz Military District, Artistic Director, The Rhine-Phalz Gallery Players
1969-71 Technical Director, The Inglewood Players, a professional equity playhouse, Inglewood, California
1971-74 Professional Stage Hand, UCLA, The Los Angeles Local 33, MacGowan Hall, UCLA campus
1980-89 Professional Stage Carpenter for Theatre, Film and Television. Production Manager, Stellar X Productions
1992-03 Art Director, Assistant Art Director and Production Carpenter:
U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and HBO Television, Aspen Colorado
American Billboard Awards, Santa Monica, California, Las Vegas
The Cable Ace Awards, Pasadena California
Penn and Teller Sin City Show, Las Vegas, Nevada
2003-08 Technical Director: Boston Court Theatre, Pasadena California
2003-2009 Art Director: HBO Television and The US Comedy Arts Festival, Aspen, Colorado (11 years); Production Manager: Fine Arts Division, Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California
ADMINISTRATIVE AND COMMITTEE SERVICE
Head of Acting Program: Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Colorado, Boulder
Head of BFA Acting Track: University of Colorado, Boulder
Faculty Sponsor for F.A.C.T. (Friday Afternoon Company Theatre): a student organization in the Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Colorado, Boulder
Search Committee Member to replace Division Chair for the: Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Colorado
Head of Safety Committee: Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Safety Committee, School of Theatre, California Institute of The Arts
ORGANIZATIONS AND AWARDS
(Partial List)
Member, American Theatre Association since 1964
Member, Alpha Psi Omega, National Drama Fraternity
Member, The New York Dramatist Guild
Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA, Los Angeles
Actor’s Equity Association, New York
American College Theatre Festival, Best Ensemble, Honorable Mention for Museum by Tina Howe at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California, 2006
Two, Irene Ryan, acting nominations for the same production
Outstanding Director Award, American Theatre Festival Contest, UCLA entry of Goats by Bob Eisele, 1974
Outstanding Theatre Student Award, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California
Best Director Award, Riverside, California Original One-Act Play Contest, 1969
Best New Play Award, Denver Theatre Critics, for P.J., Denver, Colorado, 1984
Winner, Telluride Indie Film Festival, for Dot Gone, an original Screenplay, 2002
(A complete list of awards is available upon request.)
COURSES TAUGHT FOR PAST INSTITUTIONS
University of Colorado, Boulder
Acting 1, Majors only Touring Theatre Acting
Practicum in Acting Independent Study
Acting 2, Majors only Acting 3, Majors only
Advanced Practicum in Acting Make-up
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Technical Theatre 1 Practicum in Production
Technical Theatre 2 Stage Management Senior Project
Introduction to Stage Management Scene Design
Advanced Stage Management Scenery Construction
Pasadena City College
Scenery Construction 1 Acting 1
Scenery Construction 2 Playwriting
Scene Design Touring Theatre Ind., Study
Theatrical Lighting
Saddleback College
Acting 1A – Beginning Acting
Director – Museum by Tina Howe
Director –Jake’s Womenby Neil Simon
Technical Director/Designer staff for Theatre Arts
Santiago Canyon College
Introduction To The Theatre
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy of Los Angeles (AMD)
The History of Musical Theatre 1875 – 1943
The History of Musical Theatre 1943 - 2012
Stage Craft One
Scene Design
Professional Technical Theatre Consultant for their BFA Program
Cerritos Community College
Acting One
Mark McQuown: Director | Play Writer | Screen Writer | Acting Instructor