Customer Service Assistant

Matt Buchanan

** ****** ******, ***. * Phone: 978-***-**** Websites: www.childdrama.com

Cambridge, MA 02141 abpubw@r.postjobfree.com www.youthplays.com

Employment Goal

To embark on a remunerative new career that allows me to use my skills as an organizer, manager and

communicator in a supportive, dynamic environment that values creativity, precision, and personal

initiative. By preference, I d like to find an environment in which interaction and exchange with bright

and diverse colleagues is possible and encouraged.

Key Skills

Writing, Editing and Proofreading Published and extensively produced playwright; Publicity,

advertising and fund raising copy production; Instructional materials and curriculum development; Event,

facility and departmental reporting.

Facility and Event Management - Managing multiple, complex schedules, budgets and calendars;

Facility utilization planning and maintenance; Event planning and support.

People Management and Team Building Collaborative and supervisory team building; Excellent

interpersonal skills and customer service ability; Strong people management as both mentor and

supervisor of students and professional staff.

Use of Office Automation/Software Extensive use of Microsoft Office since early 1990s; Strong

computer skills and the facility to learn new software; PC and Mac OS and software literate; Personally

use Word, Excel, Powerpoint, multiple email, calendar, contact and task managers, Photoshop and other

photo and graphics packages, and numerous music management, notation, audio editing and video editing

packages.

Web Site Development and Maintenance Online publishing; e-book production; Web content

production and maintenance; HTML authoring and maintenance; Site review and tuning for site impact

and user friendliness/ease of use.

Graphic and Audio/Visual Communication Photography, digital photography, and digital video

(including editing); Graphic design and layout; Audio recording/editing.

Theatrical Production Stage and musical direction; stage management; set and lighting design and

implementation; marketing and promotion.

Education

Harvard College, AB in Music, 1990.

Moorhead (MN) State University, Special Student in Theatre, 1988.

The University of Texas at Austin, MFA in Playwriting and Child Drama, 1997.

Auburn University at Montgomery, 12 credits in Education, 2001.

Other Formal Training

The Montgomery Academy and The Haverford School. Training in networking, web design, and

various educational technologies.

UT Austin and MSU. Significant coursework in theatrical technology.

Straw Hat Players at MSU. Internships in acting and technical theatre.

Radcliffe Dance Program and MSU. Extensive dance and choreography training.

Matt Buchanan

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

PLAYWRIGHT

Freelance (Self-Employed), 1990s - present

I am a working professional playwright and composer specializing in Theatre for Young

Audiences. My plays and musicals for children are produced regularly throughout the United States and

have been produced in eight foreign countries. Fourteen of my plays have been published. I also market

my own work through two websites, for both of which I serve as webmaster and designer. One of these,

YouthPlays.com, is an innovative new approach to online publishing that has been extremely successful.

The other, ChildDrama.com, includes a comprehensive K-12 drama curriculum that is now in use in

several school systems. I am the author of two e-books on theatre education.

Author of 14 published plays. Author of two produced musicals.

Webmaster of online play publishing site, Market my own work through several

YouthPlays.com. promotional websites.

Author of two published e-books on drama Produced across the US and in eight

education. foreign countries.

SCENIC ARTIST/DESIGNER and STAGE DIRECTOR

Freelance, University, Public and Private Schools (K-12), New England Stage Works, Boston, MA, and

Immediate Connections, Boston, MA, 1980s-present.

I have been active in set design and construction since high school, progressing from volunteer assistant

to lead professional designer. I have served as stage director, music director and/or technical director for

numerous productions since college and throughout my private school teaching career, working with

students at all levels from lower school through college, and have also directed a number of adult

productions. I currently work as a general scenic artist and designer for an independently owned scenic

and lighting design firm, creating sets, lighting and sound and providing Audio/Visual support to schools

and other organizations throughout eastern Massachusetts.

Hire and supervise creative and production Design, install, and maintain lighting and

staff. sound systems.

Production and stage direction. Lighting and scenic design.

AV design and implementation Scenic painting.

Matt Buchanan

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MANAGER and DRAMA CHAIR

St. Luke s School, New Canaan, CT, 2005-2007 (Mark Davis, Headmaster)

I managed all operations of a 500 seat, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, including budgeting,

scheduling, and coordinating with outside performance groups. I was responsible for maintaining the

physical plant and for contracting all new installations and repairs. I also administered a large theatrical

production department and was responsible for hiring staff, scheduling rehearsals and performances,

writing advertising copy, and promoting the program to students and the public internally and externally.

In conjunction with the development department, I solicited contributions of time and money from

alumni. I was responsible for the academic profile of the program and for maintaining the quality of all

aspects of the student theatre experience. I provided stage direction, technical direction and/or mentoring

of other staff for all school productions.

Managed all aspects of operations of 500- Supervised all aspects of large and diverse

seat proscenium theater. Theater was theatre arts curriculum.

active up to 250 days per year.

Marketed school productions in print, web, Maintained multiple calendars and multiple

and other media. budgets.

Contracted with outside organizations to Hired and supervised all creative and

rent our space. production staff.

Maintained physical plant and all AV, Provided technical support for all events

lighting and sound equipment. and presentations in the theater.

Produced and directed several dramatic Served as producer on productions directed

productions each year. by other faculty.

PERFORMING ARTS CHAIR

The Montgomery Academy, Montgomery, AL, 1999 2004. (Archie Douglas, Headmaster)

I administered an acclaimed program of music, forensics, and theatre arts coursework and extracurricular

performance opportunities. I was responsible for all department budgets, and for maintaining the quality

and academic direction of a unified program. I approved all course offerings and designed those in the

theatrical area. I was responsible for all aspects of a large program of extracurricular theatre productions,

including hiring of staff, budgeting, publicity, interacting with the press and other media, and internal and

external promotion of the program. I stage and music directed numerous productions each year. I created

and maintained an extensive web presence for the program, documenting past productions, illustrating

curricular goals and achievements, and promoting the present program and productions.

Oversaw acclaimed program of music, Produced and directed three major

drama and forensics. theatrical productions each year.

Designed all promotional materials for Maintained drama budget and oversaw

drama program and productions. budgets for music and forensics.

Webmaster and designer of extensive Designed and installed new sound and

drama department website. lighting system.

Designed and built sets for all shows. Hired all support staff for productions.

Matt Buchanan

INSTRUCTOR

Johns Hopkins Center for Academic Advancement, 2000-2004 (summers). (Michelle Switala, Site

Director)

I taught academically gifted youth in a summer program administered by Johns Hopkins

University. I designed a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that taught creative and expository

writing through the study of the literature and practice of the Theatre. I maintained extremely detailed

records of each student s progress, and provided the program and the students with individual narrative

assessments of each student s success. After my first year, I also served as a mentor for other Drama

Instructors.

Taught two sessions of rigorous dramatic Designed comprehensive curriculum of

coursework each summer. drama history and creative writing.

Maintained extensive, individual records Provided detailed written assessments of

on student progress. each student s progress.

Mentored other drama instructors.

DRAMA TEACHER

The Haverford School, Haverford, PA, 1995 1999. (Dr. Joseph Healey, Headmaster)

As the school s first Lower School Drama Teacher, I designed and implemented a comprehensive

curriculum of coursework and extracurricular opportunities. I trained other teachers in the use of drama

as a teaching tool. As a member of the Technology Support Group, I trained other teachers in the use of

emerging media technology in the classroom. I designed sets for many Upper School productions and

stage directed others. As a member of the Lower School Curriculum Committee, I studied the impact of

various curricular approaches, and made recommendations for strengthening an already strong program.

Designed comprehensive Lower School Taught weekly coursework to every Lower

drama program from the ground up. School class.

Directed and produced several Middle and As member of Technology Support Group,

Upper School dramatic productions each trained other faculty in the use of emerging

year. media technology.

Designed sets for many school dramatic Maintained school drama website.

productions.

Matt Buchanan

RESARCH ASSISTANT / TEACHING ASSISTANT

University of Texas Dept. of Theatre and Dance, 1993 1996. (Dr. Coleman Jennings, Professor)

As a teaching assistant, I assisted the professor with undergraduate classes. I lectured, corrected papers

and exams, maintained class and grade records, and directed all class productions. When the professor

suffered a long illness I took over as lead teacher of the class for some time. As a research assistant, I read

and evaluated literally hundreds of playscripts for possible inclusion in a reference work being prepared

by the professor. I wrote a detailed analysis of each script, and maintained a database of strengths and

weaknesses of scripts across a variety of criteria.

Taught undergraduate coursework in Child Analyzed hundreds of playscripts for

Drama. inclusion in an anthology.

Directed student productions of Children s Maintained a database of strengths and

Theatre for tour in area schools. weaknesses of scripts across a variety of

criteria.

Corrected exams and papers and kept all Wrote detailed reviews of children s plays

grade and other class records. for professor s research.

SET DESIGNER

American Experience Theatre, Haverford, PA, 1995. (Scott Schwartz, Artistic Director)

I designed and supervised the building of the set for a small professional theatre s production of Once on

a Summer s Day. I was responsible for maintaining the technical production budget and for supervising

volunteer and part time staff.

Designed and built set for small Supervised paid and volunteer support

professional theatre company. staff.

ARTS CORPS RESIDENT (National Endowment for the Arts Grant)

Free Street Theatre, Chicago, summer, 1994. (Julie Glazer, Administrative Director.)

As part of Arts Corps a pilot program of the National Endowment for the Arts I served as project

historian, playwright, and assistant director for Free Street Theatre s Summer Youth Program. With a

partner, I directed a group of ten underprivileged teenagers from Chicago s public housing projects in

writing, rehearsing, and touring a theatrical presentation.

With partner, directed ten inner-city teens Served as project historian, documenting

in writing and performing musical theatre the experience for the NEA.

presentation.

Served as lead playwright for student- Maintained sound system for touring

written project. production.

Matt Buchanan

PRODUCING DIRECTOR

Indian Hill Arts Youth Summer Theatre, 1990 1993. (Harry Chalmiers, Executive Director)

For four summers, I oversaw all aspects of a large youth summer theatre program hosted by a local arts

organization. When I took over the program it served about thirty children and employed a staff of one.

After four years I had expanded the program to serve over one hundred young people each summer,

moved the productions to a larger and more centrally located venue, and hired a large staff of

professionals to bolster the educational and artistic value we provided those students. I was responsible

for maintaining budgets, hiring staff, programming productions, and overseeing publicity. Our casts were

area students from grade 6 through college.

Produced and directed four large-scale In four years, tripled the enrollment of the

summer musical productions with area program, and more than tripled the

teens. professional staff.

Hired and supervised all professional staff. Maintained project budgets.

Wrote press releases and advertising copy. Designed programs, posters and other

promotional materials.

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