Ellen Margolis, PhD

Courses

My classes include all levels of acting, including scene study and Shakespeare; Playwriting; Directing; Audition Techniques; Phonetics & Dialects; Gender & Sexuality Studies; and Theatre History. My acting classes incorporate Viewpoints, Laban, and Linklater training. I have also developed Pacific's program in Applied Theatre (theatre as civic engagement).  

Areas of research

My research areas include theatre pedagogy, the theory and history of acting, and applied theatre. I am co-editor of The Politics of American Actor Training (Routledge, 2010), and I have recently been invited to join an international symposium on gender in actor training. 

Education

I hold an MFA in acting from the University of California at Davis and a PhD in theatre history from the University of California at Santa Barbara. At Pacific, I serve as chair of Theatre & Dance and director of Theatre.

Memberships and professional organizations

I am a founding member of Playwrights West, a Portland-based theatre company. I belong to the Dramatists Guild and the International Centre for Women Playwrights. I also continue to work professionally as a director, dialect coach and voiceover artist.  

Publications

I am an award-winning actor and playwright. As a playwright, I have received commissions from Portland Shakespeare Project, Mile Square Theatre, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. My work is published by Playscripts, Inc., Scene4, Proscenium Journal, and Smith & Kraus. I am also the editor of Singular Voices, a book of monologues from the International Centre for Women Playwrights. My work has been recognized by the Portland Civic Theatre Guild, the New York International Fringe Festival, the Trustus Foundation, the Jane Chambers Competition, and the National 10-Minute Play Contest.