Oct. 13, 2008 -- Already, Bill Bowers is a professional director, an acclaimed Broadway actor and an international mime sensation.
Now he's adding another title to his impressive resume: The University of Wyoming's first Eminent Artist-in-Residence. Bowers recently accepted UW's second state-endowed professorship in the creative arts funded by the Excellence in Higher Education Endowment, which was awarded this year to UW's three fine arts departments -- art, music and theatre and dance -- on a rotating basis.
"Bill brings with him a skill set that crosses many boundaries, from theatre to movement to mime, and all will be put into practice during his residency," says Leigh Selting, head of the UW Department of Theatre and Dance. "I can't think of a more exciting occasion for our students to put their training into practice!"
Bowers will be in residence on the UW campus for seven weeks next spring to create and perform in a world premiere physical theatre piece, "Hey O Kah/Hok A Hey." He will also teach a course in creative movement that will investigate how body awareness and movement exploration can support a performing artist's process in training, rehearsal and performance.
"Bill's course will be a wonderful supplement to our movement and combat training, and he will provide additional workshops open to all UW students during his residency," Selting says. "I hope everyone will take advantage of seeing his work, both in the classroom and on the stage."
As an actor, educator and mime, Bowers has traveled throughout the United States and Europe. His original mime shows, "Night Sweetheart," "Night Buttercup" and "Under a Montana Moon" have all been produced Off Broadway to rave reviews, and his award-winning one-man play "It Goes Without Saying" had a sold-out run Off Broadway last year.
Bowers' Broadway credits include Zazu in "The Lion King" and Leggett in "The Scarlet Pimpernel." He has also been featured in the film, "Two Weeks Notice" and on television in Disney's "Out of the Box," "Remember W.E.N.N." and on daytime soap operas "One Life to Live" and "All My Children."
Bowers holds an M.F.A. from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts and an honorary Ph.D. from his alma mater, Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. He currently teaches at New York University and is a teaching artist for the PaperMill Playhouse, Urban Stages and the Institute for Arts and Humanities Education.
Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008
