DAVID DEBLINGER [email protected] Teaching Artist, Actor, Facilitator 125 Hawthorne st apt 6F Brooklyn, N.Y. 11225
Cell 917 532 7337
OVERVIEW
Over the past twenty-five years David has worked as a teaching artist, serving thousands of students and teachers, facilitating workshops with a variety of aims, all of which have used the arts to educate and empower both the mind and the heart. He has developed a theater-based methodology, applying an array of techniques and exercises to facilitate depth-filled community dialogue and engagement. He has also directed, developed and produced youth performances at a variety of venues. His unique capacity as a facilitator is enhanced by his skills as an actor, both having played an important role in his co- founding two organizations.
EDUCATION
B.A. Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) 1988 University Major: Education (of the urban poor) Through Theater Thesis: Student-created play on education entitled, If They Only Knew.
New York’s High School of Performing Arts 1983 Drama Major
EXPERIENCE
The New Group 8/2014-present Developing theme-based performances, inspired by the imagination and real life stories of New York City public school teens to be performed at the Lucille Lortel Theater.
HB Studio 2/2014-present Directing and developing programs with an international and intergenerational group of students called, “Play the Moment.” Using original writing, personal storytelling, music, movement and song exploring the value and importance of play not just for children but adults as well
Boys and Girls Harbor 2013 Facilitate ensemble-building activities to inspire enthusiasm, focus and concentration while teaching drama, theater and improvisation to middle school students at after-school program.
Ensemble Force, Co-Founder, CEO 2012-present www.ensembleforce.com
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Ensemble Force uses a theater-based methodology to provide professional development (and special projects) for staffs and students at schools and a variety of other organizations Bronx Alternative Learning Center, principal – Ed Gardella Engaged two teams of teachers using ensemble building activities to explore challenges faced in working with their students, who have been suspended from regular school M.S. 118, principal – Elizabeth Lawrence Engaged three teams of teachers exploring ways to promote a more collaborative culture among staff working in separate, “academies,” at the school. P.S. 214, principal – David Cintron Engaged four teams of teachers in ensemble building activities to build a more collaborative culture while using role-play and personal reflection to explore ways to prevent, confront and investigate the problem of bullying. P.S. 214, principal – David Cintron (summer session) Engaged two teams of summer staff working for PS 214 and Morningside Center, modeling tools to provoke greater enthusiasm and involvement among students in regard to expressing their authentic voice, while also exploring ways to prevent bullying. Evergreen Middle School for Urban Exploration, principal – Lauren Reiss Engaged a large team of new teachers during their first week to promote a collaborative culture at a school, formerly in crisis, with a new principal now at the helm International Visitor Leadership Program – U.S. Department of State Engaged interdepartmental staff members, modeling ensemble-building activities for use with visiting international delegations FHI 360 (NGO) Engaged a group of interdepartmental staff members, modeling ensemble- building activities, provoking group dialogue around their mission of addressing complex human development needs for youth and adults in 60 countries and every U.S. state and territory. JP Morgan Engaged Chief Diversity officer of Corporate and Investment Bank and her staff using ensemble-building activities to explore a more personal connection with one another and the issue of, “diversity and inclusion.” Proskauer Rose (International Law Firm) Engaged Chief Professional Resources officer and her staff members in ensemble building activities exploring issue of inclusion and diversity CABS Health Center Engaged interdepartmental team of health care employees (doctors, nurses, aides, security, front desk, etc.) in ensemble building activities focused on fostering a more collaborative culture between departments.
Community Works 2010-present
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Working as a senior teaching artist, using theater and video to explore a variety of themes with both youth (grades 3-12) and staff, at schools and community centers in all five boroughs.
HAI-Healing Arts Initiative (formerly Hospital Audiences, Inc.) 1994-present Working as a senior actor/facilitator with school staffs and both youth and senior groups using a theater based methodology to facilitate sessions exploring new ways to overcome difficult challenges (e.g. bullying, bias, HIV-prevention, homelessness, etc.) while modeling tools to provide new ways to inspire growth and achievement.
Dixon Place 2009-2010 Taught acting to seniors and directed and developed, Moment to Moment a performance created from moments of remembered experience, song and movement performed at Sirovich Senior Center and an Off Broadway theater. LAByrinth Theater Company, Co-Founder, Member 1992-present LAByrinth is an internationally renowned, multi-cultural theater company that has grown from 13 members to over 140, including winners of the Oscar, the Pulitzer, Tony and Emmy awards. The Intensive Ensemble: Conceived, co-designed and continues to facilitate workshops at this five day artist empowerment retreat. Goals are to instill a personal commitment and rigor in the telling of stories (as actors, writers, directors, designers, producers) that hold great meaning to all involved The Ensemble Workshop: Conceived and co-designed this artist empowerment workshop series revisiting Labyrinth’s beginnings offering an array of theater-based workshops, building within each new group three core company values: ensemble-based, multi- disciplinary and self-generating LAByrinth’s Founding: Co-wrote original mission, and established an aesthetic of a multi-cultural storytelling collective. Facilitated weekly, three-hour workshops including an array of exercises and games to build group cohesion, trust and inspire a great willingness to challenge one another to take creative risks
Chekhov Theater Ensemble 1995-2001 Facilitated 12 part series to engage students in the understanding and acting of scenes from Shakespeare as well as writing workshops
British American Youth Festival Theater 1992-1997 Director, workshop leader...taught theater games, developed pieces for int’l theater co. of young people (13-21) performing here and abroad.
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Soundance 1992-1997 Teacher- facilitated theater workshops in after school program for teens.
Theater for a New Audience 1992-1996 Teaching Artist- directed classes of 5th-8th graders in scenes from various Shakespeare plays before and after they’d see the company’s Off-B’way production.
Sunnyside Community Services 1991-1996 Director- created nine videos with 5th through 12th graders focusing on intergenerational violence and community issues (videos available upon request)
Department of Cultural Affairs 1994-1995 Associate Project Coordinator-evaluated work of artists in various performing and visual arts programs for homeless children.
Floating Hospital 1990-1991 Director- directed and developed guerilla theater troupe performing pieces on Health issues (AIDS,etc.) for teens and adults.
Citykids/Globalkids/Foreign Policy Association 1989-1991 Artist/facilitator- directed and developed various theater pieces with students focusing on global and multicultural awareness; pieces performed at United Nations for Mathilda Cuomo (Rights of the Child Conference) and in Washington, D.C. for Barbara Bush (Education Conference)
AS AN ACTOR (BRIEF BIO REGARDING PROFESSIONAL WORK 1985-PRESENT) On television David has appeared on Blue Bloods, Broad City, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, Damages, Club land among others. He has enjoyed a career acting on stage and film in New York and around the country, collaborating with luminaries like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Blessing, John Patrick Shanley, Sam Rockwell, Eric Bogosian, Christopher Walken, Joe Pantaliano, Julia Roberts, Alan Alda and many others. He has also acted in films produced by Martin Scorsese and Dustin Hoffman as well as the upcoming, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, starring James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain. He recently finished filming a principal role in the independent film, James White, starring Cynthia Nixon.
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SPECIAL PROJECTS OF ENSEMBLE FORCE
Acts of Love 2013 Engaged a multi-cultural team of artists to prepare and produce an evening of music, spoken word, comedy as well as facilitated interactive activities eliciting personal reflections from audience participants, all springing from the theme, “Acts of Love.” Video Generation Workshop 2012 Engaged group of actors and writers in ensemble-building activities focused on sharing stories based on remembered experience and their imagination, culminating in short videos from each participant Lucky Penny 2011-2012 Wrote, directed and performed this performance piece exploring the word father. It’s development included facilitating a process to incorporate multi-cultural groups of artists sharing story, song and movement at theaters in New York City (Cherry Lane), Washington DC (Theater J) and New Jersey (Cape May Stage).
AWARDS
Acclaim Award for Outstanding Lead Performance 2010 The History of Invulnerability, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
San Diego International Film Festival Audience Choice Award 1998 for Best Short film The Callback starring Sam Rockwell, writer/director David Deblinger
New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Award 1996 Shakespearean Minute, Directed by David Deblinger Had homeless NYC teens collaborate with professional actors to interpret an excerpt from Hamlet. (0ne minute, forty one seconds – http://youtu.be/kIuaMceROEY )
SPECIAL SKILLS
Fluent in Spanish Solo, performance artist and playwright Comic monologist and improviser Acting teacher and coach * See acting resume and reel
QUOTES
[ as an actor ]
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"David Deblinger is one of the most courageous, honest and hilarious actors I have ever worked with.” — Eric Bogosian (Award winning actor, playwright and novelist)
"Every time I see David Deblinger perform, I laugh and cry. Dave is easily one of the most hilarious and moving actors I know. He's the real deal". — Stephen Adly Guirgis (Tony nominated playwright for The Motherfucker with the Hat)
“I had the privilege of working with David on three different shows. And in the course of those shows I found him to be an astonishing actor, filled with bravery, creativity and unexpected choices that kept the room spinning like a top.” — John Patrick Shanley (Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning writer-director) [ as a facilitator ]
"David has an extraordinary ability to create a trusting, fully creative environment with a group of strangers, and to guide sharing in the safest way possible. With the students at our theatre, he created an ensemble in a few short weeks, one that allowed deeply personal artistic expression that neither the students nor their parents knew they were capable of." Ian Morgan- Associate Artistic Director- The New Group
“Working with David was fluid, soulful, egalitarian, loving, powerful, gentle, non competitive, spiritual, deeply human and yet connected to something larger, to each other.” — Cady McLain (Emmy award winning actress)
“From the first moment I met David Deblinger I was moved and inspired by his passion and commitment to the power of theatre to transform, heal, and reveal. His experience with actors and non-actors has given him the ability to invite, dare, and prompt each person he works with to embrace their own stories and feelings as their gift to share and magnify as theatre, as art.” — Rainer Judd (Actress and President of The Judd Foundation)
“Your workshop was one of the most amazing and fulfilling experiences I've ever had.” — Marisa Lowe (Actress)
"I was immediately taken in by David's charismatic nature and sense of humor. More than that, his wealth of knowledge in the art form feeds his ability to quickly engage the student to develop a deeper sense of trust and willingness to open up and share on a very deep, visceral platform. You want to rise to his limitless energy level." — Mark Gorham (Actor and Wall Street Account Executive)
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[ as Ensemble Force]
“Ensemble Force uses dramatic role play and theater skills to examine critical issues pertinent to schools in order to build trust and cohesion. This work has been well aligned to our focus on the social-emotional development of students, specifically building relationships, managing emotions, dealing with conflict creatively, and fostering respect and tolerance. We have found the staff development work of Ensemble Force to be a creatively innovative and engaging approach to the work of building community and youth development. The response from my staff has been overwhelmingly positive.” —David Cintron (Principal/Lorraine Hansberry Academy - PS 214)
“Feedback from two recent school sessions was extraordinarily positive and extremely indicative of the profound effect that it had on the staff. It appears that they felt that many of the skills and techniques that were utilized with them could be also used with students in their classes. It is my hope that the work of your organization could be a true asset to schools in regenerating or initially building school staff morale.” — Anthony Orzo (Deputy Commissioner of NYC Department of Education)
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