Adrian A. Durlester

THEATRICAL PRODUCTION RESUME

last updated 11/09/07

EDUCATION:

• M.T.S., Hebrew Bible emphasis
  Vanderbilt Divinity School, Nashville, TN. May 2000
   

• B.F.A., Theater Technology (Stage management emphasis), School of Design & Production,
  North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC. May 1977.
   

• Graduate w/merit, Bronx HS of Science,Bronx, NY. May 1973
   

• Pre-college division, Juilliard School of Music, New York, NY (1961-69)
  Preparatory Division, Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY (1969-73)
  (At Juilliard & Manhattan: musical training in piano, theory, solfege, accompanying, opera production, conducting)

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CURRENT EMPLOYMENT:

• Director of Education & Congregational Life, Bethesda Jewish Congregation, Bethesda, MD, 20817

  • Also Choir Director and Accompanist

• Co-Director, Shir Tze'ir Jewish Teen Choir of Alexandria, VA

• Editor, C.Ha, weekly Jewish E-zine, for Torah Aura Productions

• Entertainment Coordinator, Washington Jewish Folk Arts Festival

• Instructor, Agudas Achim Congregation, Alexandria, VA

Other Non-Theatrical Prior Employment (Recent):

• Director, Temple Beth Ami Adult Choir, Rockville, MD (2005-2007)

• Director of Education, Beth El Hebrew Congregation, Alexandria, VA 22311 (July 2001-2003)

• Judaica/Hebrew Instructor (Grades 1 & 2), Music Educator (Grades K-6), Akiva School (Nashville's Jewish Day School), Nashville, TN

• Music & Choir Director, Congregation Micah (Reform), Brentwood, TN
      Responsible for music all worship services, choir direction for High Holy Days and other occasions.

• Editor, Bim Bam, weekly Jewish E-zine, for Torah Aura Productions, Los Angeles, CA

• Independent Jewish Musician,  Nashville, TN

Other Summer Employment:

• Drama Specialist, Gordon Jewish Community Center Camp, Nashville, TN (Summer 2000)

• Specialist, Gordon Jewish Community Center Camp, Nashville, TN (Summer 1999)
      Supervised Theater Camp, Community Service Camp, Circus Camp

• Media Coordinator, Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute Camp, Oconomowoc, WI. (Summer 1997 and 1998.)
      Responsible for instructing campers in video production; creating and editing cap promotional videos; maintaining and operating Media 100 digital video editing suite.

THEATRICAL EMPLOYMENT (partial history):

• (9/88-5/98) Production Manager, Festival Concert Hall
  North Dakota State University, Fargo. Performing arts facilities administration and operations including management, artistic, technical, front-of-house services, booking and scheduling, contracting, negotiation, budgeting, policy development, personnel. Also worked concurrently as a freelance lighting, scenic, and audio designer and consultant.
   

• 3/88-9/88 Production Manager, Elkhart Civic Theater, Elkhart, IN
      Responsible for technical, artistic and administrative functions. Also served as musical director, stage director, lighting designer, scenic designer for several productions
   

• 9/81-3/88 Resident Stage Manager/Technical Coordinator, Beickman Performing Arts Center, Concord Schools, Elkhart, IN. Operation and technical supervision of performing arts facility. Concurrently produced a summer community theatre program for the School system, and worked freelance as a lighting, scenic, and audio designer and consultant.
   

• 9/84-3/88 Co-Producer, Concord Community Theatre, Elkhart, IN.
      Co-Producer of summer musical theatre program . Responsible for promotion and publicity, casting, overall administrative supervision and operations,, personnel, as well as musical and technical duties.
   

• 1/81-4/81 Lighting Director, Golden Apple Dinner Theater, St. Petersburg, FL
   

• 6/77-9/81 Manager/Performer, New Dixie Zing Kings Dixieland Show Band, Clearwater FL; New Orleans, LA; Mobile, AL
   

• 9/73-5/77 Student, North Carolina School of the Arts
   

• 5/76-9/76 Stage Manager, Live Shows Dept., Kings Dominion, Doswell, VA
   

• 1/76-5/76 Stage Manager, Education Department, City Center of Music & Drama/NYC Opera/NYC Ballet, New York, NY. Responsible for stage, company, and touring management of touring educational opera productions with personnel from New York City Opera and Ballet productions with personnel from New York City Ballet.
   

• 9/69-5/75 Assistant Stage Manager and Production Assistant, Manhattan School of Music, New York, NY. Preparatory Opera program and college division John Brownlee Opera Theater.

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Selected Production Credits

You can see slides and photographs of a few of my lighting and scenic designs here

For Red River Dance and Performing Company, Fargo, ND (1988-1998)

Lighting/Audio Design "Christmas Holiday '89, '90, '91,'92"; "Here's Love" (11/95)
Lighting Design/TD "Damn Yankees"
Lighting Design Student Recitals (1990-96)
Audio Design/TD "New Works in Jazz", "Christmas Holiday '88,92", "West Side Story", "Annie"

For Fargo-Moorhead Civic Opera Company, Fargo, ND (1988 to 1998)

Lighting Design "The Mikado", "The Tender Land", "Dessert Song", "The Student Prince", "Trial by Jury", "Gianni Schicchi", "Hansel & Gretel", "Dessert Song", "I Pagliacci", "Elixir of Love", "Pirates of Penzance", "Ballad of Baby Doe", "Cavelleria Rusticana", "HMS Pinafore"
Set & Lighting Design "The Merry Widow"

For Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre, Fargo, ND (1990-1998)

Lighting Design "Little Shop of Horrors", Silver Follies '92, '93
Light & Set Design "Paint Your Wagon", "Road to East L.A.", "The Seven Year Itch"

Freelance Designs and Other Activities, Fargo, ND (1988 to 1998)

Carousel Dance Theatre "The Pageantry of Christmas" (12/97)
Lighting Instructor, Trollwood Performing Arts School (Summer '96)
Lighting Design, Sweet Adelines Regional Competition (4/96)
Lighting & Audio Design - North Dakota USA Triple Pageant (8/92)
Lighting Design "Into The Woods" - NDSU Theatre Department (Guest Designer) (4/92)
Lighting Design "Fame" - Moorhead High School Drama Program (5/91)
Lighting Design "King of Hearts" - NDSU Theater Department (Guest Designer)(2/91)
Lighting Design "Narnia" - Gwynner Junior Players, Gwynner, ND (7/89)
Lighting Design - Orchesis Dance Company, Fargo, ND (2/89)

For Elkhart Civic Theater, Elkhart, IN 9/81-8/88:

Sets & Lights, Staging & Musical Director - "Villainy 'N Vaudeville" review
Musical Director - "Once Upon A Mattress"
Lighting Design - "The Mikado", "Talley's Folly", "Haunting of Hill House", "Pippin", "The Odd Couple"
Set & Lighting Design, TD - "Brigadoon", "My Fair Lady", "Annie", "Music Man"
Set, Lighting & Audio Design, TD - "West Side Story", "Fiddler on the Roof"
Set & Lighting Design, Musical Director - "Snoopy!"

For Concord Community Theater, Elkhart, IN. 9/85 - 3/88:

Set & Lighting Design, Co-Musical Director - "...Charlie Brown" & "Snoopy!", "Godspell"
Set & Lighting Design, Musical Director - "How to Succeed in Business..."

For Concord Community Schools, Elkhart, IN.

Set, Lighting & Audio Design, TD for all, 9/81 3/88:
"South Pacific", "No, No, Nannette", "Anything Goes", "...Charlie Brown", "Sound of Music",
"Fiddler on the Roof", "Finnian's Rainbow", "Up the Down Staircase", "Feiffer's People", "Spoon
River Anthology", "If A Man Answers", "Our Town", "Christmas Spectacular '81-'88"

Other Designs (Elkhart, IN):

Lighting Designer, Miss Elkhart County Pageant ('82-'87)
Lighting Designer, "Nutcracker", Michiana Ballet ('81-'83)
Lighting Designer/TD, Elkhart Concert Club Season ('81-'88)
Lighting Designer, Patchwork Dance Company ('83-'86)

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Other Musical Activities

Washing DC Metro Area (2001-Present)

• Co-Director, Jewish Teen Arts Institute Hazamir Choir of Greater DC
• Production Coordinator, 350 Years of Jewish Music concert at Strathmore Concert Hall, March 2005.
• Pianist for Simcha B'Shabbat at Bethesda Jewish Congregation
• Musical Director and Pianist, BJC Purim Shpiels (2003, 2004, 2006)
• Pianist for Kolot Shabbat at Beth El Hebrew Congregation
• Pianist with Jinny Marsh's Hot Kugel Klezemer Band
• Pianist for Adat Reyim Purim Shpiel (5763)
• Pianist for Temple Shalom Purim Shpiel (2006)
• Keyboard Accompanist for the song "Jewish Holiday Rap" on
• Freelance Pianist and Accompanist
• Arranger/Producer/Accompanist for Gan Shirim CD and Songbook by Carol Boyd Leon (KTAV)
• Choral Arrangements: Sea Chanty, Shehecheyanu (by Carol Boyd Leon)

Nashville: (1998-2001)

• Pianist for West End Synagogue 125th Anniversary Program (Spring 1999)
• Pianist for "Salute to Irving Berlin" at Congregation Micah (Spring 1999)
• Pianist for West End Synagogue Sanctuary Rededication (December 1999)
• Musician for JCC Program "Salute to the Yiddish Theatre" (December 1998)
• Recorded Jewish cantorial works with artist Judy Caplan Ginsburgh (May 1999)
• Recorded two albums of original Jewish music, Teachab;e, Singabl;e & Jewish: Songs for Shabbat and Holidays" and "This is How We Pray" with  artist Karen Daniel.
  

CAJE: (1995-present)
Accompanist for Jewish artists Debbie Friedman, Fran Avni, Sam Glaser, Judy Caplan Ginsburgh at CAJE (1997-2005)
Accompanist for Cantor's Chorale at CAJE (1995-2003)

Fargo, ND: (1988-1998)
Accompanist for North Dakota State University choirs, music & choral student recitals.
Substitute pianist for Fargo Moorhead Civic Theatre productions

Elkhart, IN: (1980-1988)
Accompanist for Concord Community Schools bands, orchestra, choir and music students.

(1977-1980)
Manager/Pianist, New Dixie Zing Kings Dixieland Band. Mobile, AL; New Orleans, LA; Clearwater, FL.
 

SKILLS:

Facilities & Production Management, Stage Management, Technical Direction; Design & Execution of Lighting/Scenery/Audio; Musical Direction& Conducting; Keyboard Performance & Accompanying; Jewish Music Performance; Stage Direction; Theater Administration/Producing. Computer skills: Dos/Windows and Mac Systems-advanced user with maintenance, installation and network experience. Experienced user of Media 100 digital video editing system.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

(1974-1998) United States Institute for Theatre Technology (former Vice Commissioner for Communications for the Theatre & Production Management Commission, 1995-1998.)
 Guild of Temple Musicians.
 Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (life member)
National Association of Temple Educators (NATE)

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

• Nashville Gordon JCC Cultural Arts Committee
• Vanderbilt Divinity School Worship Committee
• Keyboardist; Member, Board of Directors, Temple Beth El (UAHC), Fargo, ND. Served as Director of Religious Education (95-97)
• Served on Boards of Directors of Elkhart Civic Theatre & Elkhart Concert Club, Elkhart, IN. 
• Technical advisor to North Dakota Centennial Kickoff Celebration. 
• Volunteer technical support to International Summer Special Olympics, South Bend, IN, 1987.

ELECTRONIC MAIL CONTACT:
Internet: adrian@durlester.com
 

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References and Artistic Staff Contacts on Request
JUDAIC & JEWISH EDUCATION RESUME
MUSICAL RESUME

This Page Last Updated 11/09/07