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Actor and gifted teacher Mitchell Thomas joins the ������Ƶ faculty as a full-time, tenure-track professor this fall. Also, the famed Russian visual theater ensemble, DO-Theatre, St. Petersburg, will be artists-in-residence in September.

The hiring of Thomas represents an important moment of growth for the theatre arts department, Theatre Arts Chair John Blondell said. Thomas is a graduate of the prestigious M.F.A. Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington, where he played the title role in “Hamlet,” among numerous other roles. Most recently, he has appeared at such noted California theaters as A Noise Within, Circle X and Pasadena Playhouse. Thomas’ primary responsibility will be to teach acting courses and direct in the department’s season of plays.

 “We are elated to have Mitchell join us,” Blondell said. “As an actor himself, he will provide vital insight and training for the development of our acting program. I am looking forward to the new ideas and energies that his presence will inject into our department.”

Thomas will be introduced very quickly to the Santa Barbara community. His production of Craig Lucas’s “Reckless” opens the season Oct. 28 and plays weekends through Nov. 6 in Porter Theatre.

“To walk the tightrope of this play is an interesting challenge for an audience, actor, director and designer,” Thomas said. “Reckless’ careens back and forth between comedy and tragedy, and blurs the line between fantasy and realism. With its bold theatricality and unique characters, this is an outrageously funny play that explores the nature of chance, compassion, survival and redemption.”

The Theatre Arts Department also will feature a residency of one of the world’s most visionary theatre ensembles: DO-Theatre, directed by Evgeny Kozlov.

Members of DO-Theatre will be in residence Sept. 13 – Oct. 5. They will teach master classes, develop short theater works, and will show their acclaimed visual theater piece “Birds Eye View” at the 2004 Lit Moon World Theater Festival Sept. 25 – Oct. 3 at the Center Stage Theater in downtown Santa Barbara.

“DO-Theatre’s work is simply magnificent,” Blondell said.  “They have appeared at two Lit Moon festivals, and I wanted to get them here to work with our students. They blend a surreal visual sensibility with amazing dance and acrobatics, creating a truly distinctive brand of visual theater. We are both pleased and proud to have them with us this season.”

For more information, contact Blondell at (805) 565-6778.