Performance Studies, Media Performance and Installation; Indigenous Performance; Ritual and Shamanism; Acting, Stage Directing, Dramaturgy, and Theatre Theory, Literature and Criticism.
Miao Culture Bureau, Jishou County, Hunan, China
Research in Miao Folk Performance and Ritual. Supported By The Xiangxi Cultural Bureau and Jishou University. December-January 2002-03. Research Fieldwork With Badai (spirit healers and Nuo folk performance. Initial research begun 2001. Project continuation December 2015 - January 2016 and ongoing
Tamil Nadu, India
Initial Research conducted in Terukoothu, Tamil folk performance tradition, February- March 2013
Lul Theater, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Artist-In-Residence, conducting workshop and developed a workshop production; conducted research on indigenous performance and spiritual practices. A Litooma Project, Fall 2009
Kenya, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso
Performance research and workshops; sponsored by The East Africa Theatre Association, Community Health Awareness Puppet Program, and FITMO. 1999-2002
!Xuu And Khwe Cultural Project, Lower Kalahari Desert, South Africa & Namibia
Workshops and field research with the !Xuu and Khwe Bushmen. A Litooma Project, Summer 1994
Center For The Arts, Lusaka, Zambia
Director/Choreographer Imipashi, and Workshop instructor. A Litooma Project to revitalized traditional Zambian performance. February-May 1994
Natal Performing Arts Council, Durban, South Africa
Director/choreographer and performer: Makanda Mahlanu. Director, Hlanganani Project. Production tour of 51 performances throughout Natal and Zululand. A Litooma Project, August-December 1993
Sakha National Theatre, Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Siberia)
Workshop instructor and director/choreographer, Sardaana. Included extensive travel and field research in the Shamanistic traditions of Sakha. A Litooma Project, May-August 1993
Tuma Theatre, Fairbanks, Alaska
Artistic director/instructor Alaska Native performance program. Travel, academic research, and fieldwork throughout Alaska. Director and Choreographer of seven Tuma Theatre productions. 1989-1998
Kwasa Group, The Natal Performing Arts Council, Durban, South Africa
Director/Choreographer, Emandulo (The Ancient One). Performed 28 times in South Africa. A Litooma Project, Spring 1992
Metamorphosis Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia
Workshops and director/choreographer: Shadows From The Planet Fire. Performed Baltic Theatre, St. Petersburg, and Russian, Ukraine, and Bulgaria tour. A Litooma Project, Summer 1992
Springs Theatre, Holstebro, Denmark
Conducted performance workshops for a refugee Tamil group; co-Directed King Harichandra (based on a Hindu legend) A Litooma Project, Spring –Summer 1992
Tùkak' Teatret, Fjaltring, Denmark
Guest artist and workshop instructor in movement, Alaskan Eskimo dance and drumming, a Litooma project, Summer 1992
World Eskimo-Indian Olympics at the University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks
Writer/director/choreographer, Northern Inua, a demonstration performance of traditional Alaska Native Games. Summers 1989-1995 and 1997-2003
Stage Directing
Professional & Semi-Professional
Dead White Zombies, Dallas, Texas
DP92 Writer and Installations
Karaoke Motel Writer and Installations
Bull Game, Writer and Design
T.N.B., Playwright and installations
(w)hole, Writer and Installations
Flesh World, Writer and Installations
blahblah, Playwright and Design
Project X, Dallas, Texas
Some People, Playwright and Set Design
Premiere: Water Tower Theatre 2009 Out of the Loop Festival
So There, (one act), Playwright and Set Design
Orange Oranges, (one act), Playwright and Set Design
Premiere: 2008 Festival of Independent Theatres, Dallas
StoryLAB, Dallas, Texas
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, playwright
voted Top Ten productions in DFW for 2008 by Pegasus News
Alpha Male, Playwright
Kartasi: The Traveler, Playwright
There Is Never A Reference Point, Playwright, Devised
produced in collaboration with Project X
Organic Theater Company, Chicago
Little Caesar, Adapter/Playwright
The Conduct of Life, by Marie Irene Fornes
Titus Andronicus, by Wm. Shakespeare (featuring John C. Reilly)
Betawulf, Playwright, Devised
Rubber City, Playwright
The Stranger in Stanley's Room, by George Freek
Kiss It Good-Bye, by M. Miner & Scott Jacobs
Akron, Playwright
The Cleveland Play House
Bosoms and Neglect, by John Guare
Christmas on Mars, by Harry Kondoleon
End of the World, by Arthur Kopit
Sea Marks, by Gardner McKay
Teatro Di Roma, National Theatre Of Italy
Il Ronzio Della Moche, by Dario D'ambrosi
Sakha National Theatre, Yakutsk, Russia (Siberia)
Sardaana, Devised
La Mama ETC, New York City
La Mulata, by Estaban Fernandez
The Buzzing of Flies, by Dario D'ambrosi
Le Boursedes Artistes, Zurich, Switzerland & European Tour
The Big Deal, Playwright with Leslie Felbain
New York Theatre Workshop, New York City
The Grand Hysteric, by Sheldon Rosen
The Box, by Sheldon Rosen (Featuring David Hyde Pierce)
American Theater of Actors, New York City
Leather Heart, by Frank Megna
Publick Theatre, Boston
The Country Wife, by William Wycherly
Playwrights Platform, Boston
The Body Parts, by Matt Witten (with dancer, Lawrence Goldhuber)
Cabaret Dinner Theater, Cleveland
Follies: The Better Than Nude Revue, Playwright
Fairbanks Drama Association
Athena, (World Premiere) by Jason Hodges
Pipedreams (and state wide tour), Playwright
Why The Lord Come To Sand Mountain, by R. Linney
Tuma Theatre (Alaska Native), Fairbanks, Alaska
Utetmun (Going Home), by Paul Jumbo
The Child From The Sea, Devised
Qayaq: The Magical Man, Devised
The Eagle's Gift, Devised
Inua, Devised
Naam/Gen Eehu, by Evelyn Alexander (Athabaskan elder)
Yup’ik Arnaq, by Theresa John (Yup’ik elder)
Lul Theatre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Andegna (The First) Ensemble Developed
Natal Performing Arts Council, Durban, South Africa (Nat’l Theatre)
Makanda Mahlanu, Devised
Kwasa Group, South Africa
Emandulo, Devised
Metamorphosis Theatre at Baltic Theatre, Russia, St. Petersburg, Ukraine, Ural Region tour
Shadows From The Planet Fire, Devised
Center For The Arts, Lusaka, Zambia
Imipashi (The Spirits), Devised
Karamu House, Cleveland, Ohio
City Cuts, Devised
Cleveland Laboratory Theater
Betawulf, Devised
Dallas Museum of Art
Dada Cabaret, Devised
Thomas Riccio, performance and media artist, writer and director, is Professor of Performance and Aesthetics at the University of Texas at Dallas, previous positions: Professor of Theatre, University of Alaska; Artistic Director, Chicago's Organic Theater Company; Resident Director, Cleveland Play House; Assistant Literary Director, American Repertory Theatre; Visiting Professor, University of Der es Salaam, University of Pondicherry (India), University of Nairobi, and the Korean National University for the Arts; Jishou University (Hunan, China); and Artistic Director, Tuma Theatre, an Alaska Native performance group. He has directed at American regional theatres, including, LaMama ETC, The New York Theatre Workshop, and the National Theatre of Italy. Riccio works extensively in the area of indigenous performance, ethnography, ritual, and shamanism, developing performances and fieldwork in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Russia, Alaska, Korea, India, Nepal, China, Vietnam, and the Republic of Sakha (Siberia), which declared him a “Cultural Hero.” Notable projects include devising/directing a performances in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2009), the !Xuu Bushmen of the lower Kalahari (1994), the Zulu of South Africa (1992 and 1993), and a nationwide touring performance in Zambia (1994). He is working on a long term research and performance project with the Miao, an ethnic minority group in western China (2015-18) which will culminate with a large scale devised performance with traditional healers . Riccio has conducted workshops and given lectures and workshops throughout the world, most notably at the national theatre schools of Poland, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia. He has received numerous honors and grants for his projects. Academic writings have appeared in TDR, TheatreForum, Theatre Topics, Theatre Research International, and PAJ. Peter Lang published Performing Africa: Remixing Tradition, Theater and Culture. He is the recipient of the International Distinction Prize in Playwriting from the Alexander Onassis Foundation and was a Narrative Engineer for Hanson Robotics. His photographs, videos, and installations have been exhibited in a variety of galleries. He is the Artistic Director of Dead White Zombies, a Dallas-based, post-disciplinary performance group, most recently designing/writing/directing performance immersions, T.N.B. (2013), kaRaoKe MoTeL (2014) and DP92 (2015). He was an artist in residence at the Watermill Art Center (2016) and is collaborating with Sibyl Kempson on a series of performance rituals at the Whitney Museum. www.thomasriccio.com & www.deadwhitezombies.com