Arthur Beer

Arthur 听Beer

Professor Emeritus
Professor of Theatre (retired 2019)

Arthur Beer
Contact Info:
Campus: McNichols Campus
Arthur Beer
Areas of Expertise:
Acting and Directing
Classical Drama and Theatre
Culture - Greece

Degrees

  • Ph.D. from Wayne State University
  • M.A. from the University of Michigan
  • B.A. from DePauw University

Biography

Teaches Directing, History of Theatre, Acting Styles and Body jElectrics, Voice and Diction, and Fine Arts. He has acted in more than 220 plays, and directed a like number, including several world premieres. He is a member of SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity Association, and is regularly seen in professional productions in the metropolitan Detroit area. Beer has received Best Actor and Best Director awards from all of Detroit's major periodicals. Beer has written 20 original plays and adapted 16 classic plays, all of which have been produced. He has won the Hopwood and Gesu awards in playwriting, as well as authoring the directing text "Classic Plays for Contemporary Audiences" and the Humanities Workbook, "Meeting Art".

He was also director of drama at Thiel College in Pennsylvania, Jacksonville University in Florida and the Athens Centre in Greece before joining 91传媒 in 1975, where he has taught, acted, directed and served as department chair before being made Professor Emeritus in 2020. He has appeared in 40 film, TV roles and commercials, with voiceover work in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh.

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    Publications & Productions

    • Short stories in Arbor Magazine
    • Three one acts in Hopwood Award plays
    • Critiques & reviews in Houyhnhm, Protagonist, and Athens Monthly
    • The following adaptations:
      • A Servant of Two Masters from Goldoni. Six productions
      • Peer Gynt from Ibsen. Florida Theatre Festival premiere
      • A Christmas Carol from Dickens. University of Detroit premiere
      • Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Furies from Aeschylus. 3 Greek tours
      • The Birds, Congress of Women, The Frogs, Lysistrata from Aristophanes. 12 Greek tours
      • Antigone and Death of a Blind Old Man (Oedipus at Colonus)from Sophocles. 2 Greek tours, 1 U.S. Production
      • The Bacchae, Electra, Iphigenia in Aulis, Medea, The Trojan Women from Euripides. 19 Greek tours, 2 U.S. productions
      • The Long Way Home from Homer's Odyssey 2 Greek tours
      • The Twins from Plautus Menaechmi. Greek tour
    • The following original plays:
      • “Caswell," "Man in Armor," "The Satyr Play," "Set in Rubber” (produced at University of Michigan, Wayne State University, 91传媒, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art -  London)
      • Medea et la Force de Voodoo (University of Detroit premiere)
      • The King Korn Trio (University of Detroit premiere)
      • Malice Aforethought: The Sweet Trials (University of Detroit premiere, 91传媒 revival, and state tour)
      • “Jordan Anderson Writes a Letter” (91传媒 premiere, CHWAA Museum, tour)
      • “1000 Miles to Freedom” (Black History Month reading)
      • "Creation at the 11th Hour," "Solutions," and "Interview with the Virus" for this year's Shelter in Place national play project, available online November 2020.
    • The following scholarly works:
      • "Max Reinhardt: Innovation & Eclecticism”
      • “19th century American Drama”
      • "How Directing Is Taught at American Universities"
      • "Classic Plays for Contemporary Audiences"
      • "Meeting Art"
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    Organizations & Affiliations

    • American College Theatre Festival (ACTF)
    • Actors Equity Association
    • American Educational Theatre Association (AETA)
    • Alpha Psi Omega honorary drama fraternity
    • American College Theatre Festival, Region 13 Exec. Comm. 1982 -83
    • American Educational Theatre Association, Midwest representative
    • American Guild of Variety Artists
    • American Theatre Association for Higher Education
    • American Federation of Television & Radio Artists
    • Ancient Theatre of Argos, presenter
    • American Theatre Association (ATA)
    • Athens Centre for the Arts, faculty
    • Core Curriculum Committee, College of Liberal Arts & Education, 91传媒
    • Detroit Classics Association, guest lecturer
    • Detroit Council of Broadcast Unions
    • Director, Classic Theatre Study Abroad 1966 - 2009
    • Director of Drama, Thiel College 1960 - 1967
    • Director of Drama, Jacksonville University 1967 - 1970
    • Florida Theatre Conference Host 1968
    • Graduate Assistant in Speech, Wayne State University 1965 - 1973
    • Guest Artist, The Theatre Company, 1975 - 1977
    • Hellenic American Union, faculty
    • Phi Beta Kappa, member and guest lecturer
    • Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRAJ)
    • Sigma Delta Chi honorary journalism fraternity
    • Screen Actors Guild
    • U.S. Institute of Theatre Technicians
    • 91传媒 Professors’ Union
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    Awards & Honors

    • Best Actor awards from DePauw, University of Michigan, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Oakland Press, Detroit Monthly Magazine, Meadowbrook Theatre, Pittsburgh Press, Dearborn Press & Guide
    • Best Director Awards from Jacksonville Press, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Detroit Monthly Magazine, Dearborn Press & Guide, Jacksonville Sentinel, Oakland Press
    • Phi Beta Kappa, SDX (journalism) ATO (theatre) cum laude from DePauw University
    • Hopwood award, University of Michigan; Gesu National Playwriting award from Loyola U
    • Lee Hills Career Achievement award, Detroit Free Press
    • ATO scholarship, DePauw University
    • Rector Scholarship, DePauw University
    • Graduate Assistantships, University of Michigan, Wayne State University
    • Technical Assistantship, Hilberry Theatre
    • City of Warren Mayor’s Award
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