Joe Deer, Head of Musical Theatre
Joe began his New York career tap dancing on the sidewalk outside the Shubert Theatre, and went on to perform in the Broadway and national tour productions of Anything Goes, The Music Man, Brigadoon, Singin' in the Rain and The American Dancemachine, as well as numerous Off-Broadway and concert performances at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and the Palace Theatre. Joe was stage manager for the acclaimed Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, on National Tours and at regional and off-Broadway. He is the award-winning director and choreographer of over a hundred productions in Off-Broadway, regional, summer stock and university theatres including Wright State University's productions of West Side Story, Urinetown, Into The Woods, Nine, Parade, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, Brigadoon, and Assassins. For the Human Race Theatre Co., where he is a resident artist, Joe directed and choreographed The Underpants, Seussical, Big River among others. Joe was artistic director of Struthers Library Theatre in Warren, PA, Summer Stage Wright (at Wright State University), NYC Tapworks (New York) and was a resident director for ten seasons at Mountain Playhouse in Central Pennsylvania. At Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma where he directed regularly, Joe worked with Tony nominees Lara Teeter and Kristin Chenoweth. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and is founding president of the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance - International. Joe has been head of WSU's Musical Theatre program for ten years and has an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University. His book, ACTING IN MUSICAL THEATRE: A COMPREHENSIVE COURSE (written with Rocco Dal Vera) is due from Routledge Press in February of 2008. They also write the “Acting In Musical Theatre” column for Dramatics magazine.
Last updated May 1, 2007
