Resume of John Fisher
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Play Writing
A Necessary Evil
A drama about the devastating effects on one American family of the recent elections.
- Workshop production at Theatre Rhinoceors: May, 2009
Schönberg
A comedy-drama about the cantankerous friendship of classical-composer Arnold Schönberg and Hollywood funny man Oscar Levant.
- New York Fringe Festival, (Bleecker Street Theatre: August, 2008
Ishi: the Last of the Yahi
A drama about "the last wild Indian" and the extermination of California's Indians.
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: July, 2008
There's Something About Marriage
Sketch-comedy revue of queer life in the new millenium.
- New York Fringe Festival, Venue #10 (Center for Architecture): August, 2007
Special Forces
An action-adventure about a mission behind enemy lines during the current Gulf War.
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: May - July, 2007
Richard Burton's Voice
A comedy about a young man's obsession with Richard Burton and the movie "Where Eagles Dare."
- Yale School of Drama, Carlotta Festival of New Plays, New Haven, CN: May, 2007
Schönberg
A comedy-drama about the cantankerous friendship of classical-composer Arnold Schönberg and Hollywood funny man Oscar Levant.
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: April, 2006
Joy
A comedy with songs about academics on the Berkeley campus falling in and out of love.
Directed by Ben Rimalower
- Off-Broadway, Actors’ Playhouse, New York City: July–September, 2005
- The Producers Club, New York City: February–March, 2005
Medea: The Musical
The backstage shenanigans of an aggressively gay theatre company putting on a camp rendition of Euripides’ play, and the feminist actress who undermines the production on opening night. Published in ZYZZYVA (Vol. XII, No. 1: Spring, 1996)
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: May–July, 2005
- ArtsWest Theatre, Seattle: June, 2000
- Hudson Mainstage Theatre, Los Angeles: June–October, 1999
- Actors Theatre of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa: November, 1998–January, 1999
- 1997 HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, Aspen Colorado: February, 1997 (Mainstage Production)
- Stage Door Theatre, San Francisco: April, 1996–January, 1997
- Bayfront Theatre, San Francisco: September, 1995–January, 1996
- Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, San Francisco: June, 1995–September, 1995
- University of California, Berkeley: August 1994
Flaming Iguanas
(With Duca Knezevic)
Adapted from the road novel by Erika Lopez.
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: April, 2004
Queer Theory
Queer Theorists battle it out with Transgenders in the lecture halls and bedrooms of Berkeley, Harvard and Oxford.
- New York International Fringe Festival, SoHo Playhouse: August, 2004
- Impact Theatre Company, EXIT Theatre, San Francisco: April-May, 2003
Amnesia
During the Battle of the Bulge, a homosexual man forgets he’s gay and falls in love with the woman who nurses him back from shell shock.
- Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco: January-February, 2003
A Christmas Carol - A musical adaptation
(With James Dudek)
The evil chancellor of an all women’s college finds love and enlightenment later in life.
- Mills College, Oakland: November-December, 2002
Boadicea: Warrior Queen of the Britons
(With James Dudek)
A television actress returns to the stage in a musical version of the life of Boadicea only to find her career ruined by her spurned lesbian co-star.
- Mills College, Lisser Hall, Oakland: April, 2002
Partisans
A drama about the lives of Jewish partisans fighting back against the Nazis in World War II Poland.
- Zellerbach Playhouse, University of California, Berkeley: October, 1999
Titus!
An Outdoor Extravaganza based on Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco: September, 1998
Combat!
A drama about gays in the US Marine Corps during World War II who survive the invasions of Tarawa and Iwo Jima and then are persecuted by their own government in the military witch hunts.
- Victoria Theatre, San Francisco: February–April, 1998
UC: A Farce
A college administration is collapsed by its own double standards.
Performed in repertory with Medea: The Musical
- Stage Door Theatre, San Francisco: November, 1996
Summer Camp
A musical comedy exploration of a political aesthetic.
- Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco: August, 1996
Joy of Gay Sex
(See Joy above)
- Bayfront Theatre, San Francisco: December, 1994–December, 1995
- The Actors’ Theatre of San Francisco, San Francisco: April–May, 1995
Producing |
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Artistic Director | Theatre Rhinoceros | 2002–Present |
Teaching |
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Acting/Classical Acting American Conservatory Theatre 2008-Present | ||
Play Writing/Queer Theatre | Yale School of Drama | 2006-2008 |
Advanced Director’s Studio | UC Santa Cruz | 2005 |
Play Writing | UC Berkeley, English Department | 2002–2004 |
Play Writing | UC Extension | 2001-2004 |
Acting | UC Berkeley, Dramatic Arts Department | 1992–2000 |
Training |
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Ph.D in Dramatic Arts | UC Berkeley | 2001 |
BA in History/Dramatic Arts | UC Berkeley | 1987 |
Representative Directing Experience
American Conservatory Theatre, M.F.A .Program
- Red Scare on Sunset by Charles Busch
Word for Word/Z-Space
- Three on a Party by Tennessee Williams and Armistead Maupin
Theatre Rhinoceros
- The Philanderer by Bernard Shaw
- Not About Nightingales by Tennessee Williams
- Single Spies by Alan Bennett
- Design for Living by Noel Coward
Golden Gate Opera, San Francisco
- Pagliacci
- Hansel and Gretel
Eureka Theatre, San Francisco
- Carved in Stone by Jeffrey Hartgraves
Various Theatres (see playwriting experience)
Written & Directed by John Fisher
- Medea: The Musical
- Joy
- Combat
Representative Acting Experience
Schoenberg (Schoenberg) Bleecker Street Theatre, New York
The Philanderer (Leonard Charteris) Theatre Rhinoceros
Not About Nightingales (Warden) Theatre Rhinoceros
Single Spies (Sir Anthony Blunt) Theatre Rhinoceros
A Few Gay Men (John) Venue Nine
God’s Country (Parmenter) Bay Front Theatre
Equus (Dysart) UC Berkeley, Dramatic Arts Department
Abingdon Square (Juster) UC Berkeley, Dramatic Arts Department
Measure for Measure (Pompey) UC Berkeley, Dramatic Arts Department
Awards and Fellowships
- 2009 Zellerbach Family Fund Grant
- 2008 Wallace Foundation Grant
- 2007 Zellerbach Family Fund Grant
- 2006 San Francisco Arts Commission Cultural Equity Grant
- 2000 National Endowment for the Arts Project Grant
- 2000 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding L.A. Theatre
- 2000 Sara Huntsman Sturgess Memorial Prize
- 1999 Back Stage West-Dramalogue Garland Award for Direction
- 1999 Los Angeles Weekly Awards for Best Playwright and Best Musical
- 1999 Doreen B. Townsend Fellowship
- 1999 Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Award for Best Original Script
- 1999 Will Glickman Playwright Award
- 1998 Phyllis Wattis Fellowship (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts)
- 1996 Will Glickman Playwright Award
- 1996 Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Awards: Best Musical, Best Original Script, Best Direction of a Musical
- 1996 Cable Car Award for Best Theatrical Production
- 1995 San Francisco Bay Guardian Goldie Award
- 1995 Bay Area Critics' Circle Award for Best Original Script
- 1995 Cable Car Award for Best Theatrical Production
- 1994 Roselyn Schneider Eisner Memorial Fund Award
- 1993 Wheeler Fellowship
- 1992 University of California Regents' Fellowship
- 1996, 1995, 1993, 1992 Mark Goodson Awards