Niki Selken

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Performance and Writing Resume

  Education

2007 MA, MFA Experimental Performance, New College of California

2003 Certificate in Theater, University of California at Santa Cruz

2002 BA Theater, University of California at Santa Cruz

 

Performance an Directing Experience

She Was a Computer

July 20-22nd 2012 Counterpulse Theater San Francisco, CA

- Performed and collaborated in CaraRose DeFabio's original piece about women in the digital age.

 

The Gods of San Francisco

May 2011 Shotwell Studios San Francisco, CA

- Wrote and performed in this one-act musical about an estranged mother and daughter, the men they love, and the Gods they create in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.

 

Moving Through Syzygryd www.kolabs.org

August 2010 Syzygryd Black Rock City, NV

- Co-directed and conceived this site-specific movement piece with original music and text.

 

The Pride and Prejudice Project

April 2nd 4th 2009 The Garage San Francisco, CA

- Wrote and performed in this experimental adaptation of Austen™s Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Zack.

 

The Endless Frontier

Sept 2008, Jan 2009 The Exit Theater, The Garage San Francisco, CA

- Produced, wrote, directed, and performed an evening length experimental musical show with theater company Ko Labs during an artist residency at 975 Howard for the 2008 San Francisco Fringe Festival and the 2009 Women on the Way Festival. The San Francisco Fringe Festival awarded a Sold Out Award the show.

 

Worlds Apart: Local Response 51802 by ESP Project

March 29 31 2007 Yerba Buena Forum Theater San Francisco, CA

- Performed as dancer in Erika Chong Shuch™s performance piece about issues of incarceration.

 

Mourning Papers

November 16th 2007 Union Square San Francisco, CA

- Promoted and co-directed this 30 minute, 50 performer anti-war performance piece.

 

The Memory of Water

July 2007 New College Theater San Francisco, CA

- Conceived, Directed, and Performed evening length performance piece investigating Hurricane Katrina and Burningman festival through the element of water. The piece utilized text, movement, original music, and puppetry.

 

Sutro Stories

July 2006 New College Theater San Francisco, CA

- Wrote, Directed, and Performed 45 min multimedia performance piece tracing combining found video, images, and stories from the 1906 Earthquake with the lives and Gods of a fictional family.

 

Butoh Performances with Rick Walker

April 11th 2003 Santa Cruz Digital Arts Festival Santa Cruz, CA

Feb 29 2004 Rio Theater Santa Cruz, CA

- Co-choreographed and performed in this 15 minute semi improvisational Butoh piece investigated notions of eroticism and gender identity in conjunction with live-looper musician.

 

Random with a Purpose Salome in Retrograde

Dec - Feb 2003 UCSC Theater Department Santa Cruz, CA

- Choreographed and performed in this five-minute dance which rethinks Oscar Wilde™s Salome.

 

Bodies in Crisis

August 2002 Ragesties Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland.

Director: Shakina Nayfack

- Worked in an ensemble to create performance company, adapt Ragesties, and performed it in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.

 

Low Level PanicDirector

March- May 2001 CAT Productions Custard Factory in Birmingham, England.

- Created production company, Cat Productions, and produced and directed play.

 

Cinderella

Sept - Dec 1999 Shakespeare Santa Cruz Director: Paul Whitworth

- Acted a Regan, an Evil stepsister, in this Pantomime production of Cinderella.

 

Cosmic Star

2005 The Blue Lagoon, Café Pergolesi, and DIY venues Bay Area

- Co-Created experimental pop band with Gabriel Gilder, which performed at various venues.

 

Teaching Experience

Lead Drama Teacher

June 2009 2010 Glitter and Razz Productions Performing Arts

- Worked with children ages 4 10 in one week sessions to write and perform original short plays and dance pieces. Also taught the fundamentals of theater and movement.

 

Theater and Dance Teacher

June - August 2000, 2003 Camp WinnarainbowCircus and Performing Arts

- Choreographed original dance works and helped children to choreograph their own pieces using techniques of modern and improvisational dance, and wrote and directed 3 short plays for children within 2 week periods with 9 to 25 children ages 7- 16.

Theater and Dance Teaching Assistant

2002 - 2003 Department of Theater Arts UC Santa Cruz

- Assisted various Professors over four quarters and held weekly sections with 30 students on the class topics.

- Graded quizzes and papers, maintained attendance records, and oversaw performances.

 

Classroom Theater and Music Teacher

1999 - 2002Arts Bridge Program Watsonville Elementary Schools

Taught choral music and theater teacher for bilingual and underprivileged children. Wrote and adapted multicultural short plays for 4th and 5th grade classrooms, with two different host classrooms per year.

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Technical Experience

Art. House. Rock. DJ

2007 present The Argus Lounge, San Francisco

- Produce an evening of music and prepare music sets and play music with a four-channel mixer.

 

The Glass MenagerieLighting and Video Operator

Sept - October 2004 San Jose Stage Company San Jose

- Worked on a production of The Glass Menagerie alongside the Lighting Designer to help program and perform lighting and video cues for the performance.

 

Crash CourseDJ

2004 2005 The Blue Lagoon, Santa Cruz

- Prepare music sets and play music with a four-channel mixer using both records and Cds.

 

Poor Players Lighting Designer

May 2002 The Actors Theater, Santa Cruz Director: Shakina Nayfack

- Designed lighting for the show and worked as the board operator in an intimate, local community theater.

 

Bodies in Crisis Lighting Designer

August 2002 Ragesties Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland.

Director: Shakina Nayfack

- Adapted the lighting design for our show from UCSC to a smaller theater in Edinburgh.

 

Training

2000-2001 - Music Theory, Piano lessons, Vocal lessons and choir - UCSC

2001-2002 - Lighting Design, Alexander Technique, Cicely Barry Vocal Technique - University of Birmingham, England.

2002 - Modern Dance - UCSC

2002 - Butoh Workshop - Ken Mai, Edinburgh

2003 Indonesian Theater, Improvisational Dance, Acting Studio II - UCSC.

2003 - Butoh Workshop (Intensive 3 day) with - Diego Piñon, San Francisco

2004 - Butoh Workshop (Intensive 3 day) with - Diego Piñon, San Diego

2004 - Butoh Class Series ( 6 weeks) - Hiroko Tamano, Oakland

2005 - 2007 Choreography, Contact Improvisation, Tap, Voice and Music Composition, Acting and Directing, Writing for Performance -Experimental Performance Institute at New College CA.

2006 2007 - Internship - Erika Shuch Performance Project.

2008 Auditions and Callbacks Studio ACT with Greg Hubbard

 

Honors and Awards

2000 - Student Employee Recognition Award Program - $700.00 award for web design work.

2000 - Priscilla Newton Scholarship - Merit based scholarship for promising female actress.

1999-2002 - Arts Bridge Scholarship - Theater teacher for underprivileged children

- Wrote and adapted short plays for 4th and 5th grade classrooms, with two different host classrooms per year.

2004 - Metro Newspaper Goldie Award Voted #1 Club DJ in Santa Cruz.