JULIA
SAUNDERS
Writer
Director
Actor
ABOUT
Greetings and thank you for taking the time to read my bio. I'm Julia Saunders (they/she) and I'm an actor, playwright, director and human being living a bi-coastal existence between the Bay Area and NYC. I am an artist that values curiosity and inspiration; I am willing to work hard and explore endlessly when following the spark of creativity.
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My creative interests: gender performance, sexuality, love as a phenomenon, femme experience, meta-theatre, the this-ness of mediums, compassion.
I studied acting and directing as a dual specialization at UCLA's theater program, and more recently have been deep diving into the craft of acting at Juilliard's extension classes, which have been divine. I study playwriting with the glorious Amy Berryman.
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KEY WORDS: Viewpoints, Multi-media, Lucid Body, Deconstructed Classics, Performance Art, Devised Work, Vaudeville, Clown, Heightened Text, Queer Maker, Improv, LOVE AND LAUGHTER BABY
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As an actor, I am start with my body. I find the hook of things through movement. I track towards roles that make the most of my exuberance and intensity. I have always been a character actor but have learned to love the absurdity of an ingenue.
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As a playwright, I am hungry and want to wander in massive webs of ideas. Why do one thing when you can do everything? Or better, why laugh at one thing when you can laugh at everything?​
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As a director, I am intuitive and inspirational. I want to bring out the best in those I work with, and I have found the ideal approach is through deep respect for the human I am working with and to become curious about and with them. I specialize in reimagining classic texts and incorporating physical comedy into my productions.
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As a human being, I am endlessly interested in other human beings. As an artist and a theater maker, I am here to explore what it means to be alive as a person. I am deeply invested in compassion and humor as elegant tools for living fully.
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WRITER / DIRECTOR
THE SEAGULL-LUV ISLAND*
WRITER/CO-DIRECTOR/ACTOR
Residency at the Performance Space at CSSMA--Summer 2023
*This project is in development and is now called LOVE CONSUMES US
SOIREE D'ANGSTE
WRITER/ACTOR
The Salon at the Dixon Place Theatre--Winter 2020
Fringe NYC at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe--Fall 2019
UNTIL DEATH*
DIRECTOR
Play Series at Montserrat LA--Stagexco.--Winter 2016
*collaboration with Jahna-Ferron Smith
BIG WHITE DEVIL
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/DEVISER
Highways Theater in LA--Stagexco.--Fall 2015
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Media
ACTING
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Height: 5' 7"
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Theater
The Seagull-Luv Island
Pride & Prejudice
Potters Wheel
Sex VS. Love
Lifers
Soiree D'Angste
Falling
Measure for Measure
Spamalot
80/20
Harlequino Workshop
Dir. Tim Robbins
Salome (redux)
The White Devil
Two Cities
in collaboration w/ Alice Tuan
4:48 Psychosis
Faustus
Vagina Monologues
We Do Not Eat
Ipseity
I'm Alive You Bastards...
Romeo and Juliet
Nina
Mr. Wickham/Caroline Bingley
Sally
Chelsea
Jessi
Madame Angste
Rachel
Juliet
Ensemble
Betsy
Ensemble
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Lady Lazarus
Isabella
Jan Brewer
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Unnamed
Ensemble
"I was there..."
Emily
Julia
Jak
Mercutio
Madeline Wall/CSSMA
Jessica Chen/Community Cooperative
Chris Tracy/Theater for a New City
Emily Brown/Dixon Place
Jack Dentinger/Bellweather Project
Brianna Cala/Dixon Place
Brennan Pickman-Thoon/Shortlived
Bob Currier/Marin Shakespeare Co.
Bob Currier/Marin Shakespeare Co.
Joseph/LevinPlaywrights Horizon
Tim Robbins/The Actors' Gang
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Nick Rapp/Stagexco
Nick Rapp/Stagexco
Joe Olivieri/UCLA Theater
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Jagger Waters/UCLA Theater
Nick Rapp/UCLA THeater
Celestine Au/SAANA
Caitlin Ferrell/UCLA Theater
Julia Saunders/UCLA THeater
Roxie Perkins/UCLA THeater
David Smith/Drake Theater
TV/Film
Murder Amongst Friends #106
Michael + Anwar
Episode #2: The Ring
Episode #3: The Party
Episode #4: The Party, pt 2
Superlike
All is Good
F-Girls
We Can Do It
Back Home
I Think I Love You
The Exchange
Brandi (principle)
Rose (principle)
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Sam (principal)
Rosa (principal)
Chloe (principal)
Gina (supporting)
Karen (principal)
Jess (principal)
Jessie (principal)
Omar Samad
Paige McCall
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George Lena
Markus Wolff
Sophie De Baun
Ben Martin
Maddie Oliver
Nick Freeman
Jordan West
Comedy
Good Boy
The Lottery
Musée De Angst
Self
Ensemble
Madame Angst
Broadway Comedy Club
IO West
Floodlight Revue
Training
Julliard Extenstion
UCLA School of Theater
The Barrow Group
The Actors' Gang
One on One NYC
UCB NYC
IO West
Claire Karpen/Brian McManamon
Joe Olivieri/April Shawhan
Lorrel Manning
Tim Robbins/Cynthia Ettinger
David Caparelliotis/Stephen Vincent
Achilles Stamatelaky/Joey Price
James Mastraieni/James Grace
Special Skills
Accents: New York, General American, Parisian, Russian (Moscow)
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​Stage Combat, Basic French, Tumbling, Long Form Improvisation, Advanced Yoga, Intermediate Ballet, Tai Chi, Alexander Technique, Swimming, Long Distance Running; Alto Folk/Rock Vocalist
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Licensed Driver, Active Passport
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Commercial conflicts available upon request.