Peter Guither

909 West Market Street
Bloomington, Illinois 61701-2847
309-287-8586 (home) * 309-438-5134 (office)
pguithe@ilstu.edu

Education

Master of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Management
Brooklyn College, City University of New York (1985)

• Recipient of the 1984 Wilson Lehrer Award
• Studied with Stephen Langley, Edward O. Lutz, Toby Stein, and Bruce Birkenhead
• Portion of masters' thesis on commercial theatre break-even points was published in Chapter 11 of Stephen Langley's Theatre Management and Production in America

Bachelor of Special Studies in Theatre
Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA (1976)

• Served as Technical Director two years
• Directed mainstage production of Great God Brown by Eugene O'Neill

Positions at Illinois State University

Assistant to the Dean, College of Fine Arts, Illinois State University (2001 to present)

Responsible for a wide range of management and coordination activities for the College of Fine Arts, focused on facilities and special events.

General Responsibilities

• Serve as college coordinator for facilities issues with Facilities Planning and Facilities Management
• Coordinate College commencement activities
• College representative for University recruitment activities, particularly related to Area Meetings
• Organize and/or coordinate special events for the College, including Madrigal Dinners, Fine Arts Festival, Illinois High School Theatre Festival, special donor events, and other fundraising events
• Teach Principles of Theatre Management and Advanced Theatre Management.
• Past teaching in the Arts Technology program and Connections as needed
• Serve as production photographer for the college
• Design, edit and layout the annual Illinois Shakespeare Festival program guide, and other publications.

Committees

• Chair of the Illinois State University Theme Committee (2002-2003)
• Member of Chatters (Associate Deans Facilities Group)
• Member of Illinois State University Facilities Forum
• Member of Dean's Advisory Group
• Past Member of Illinois State University Parking Board
• Past Member of Illinois State University Sponsorship Policies Committee

Assistant Chair, Theatre, Illinois State University (1988 to 2001)

Also functioned as General Manager of Illinois State Theatre production program and The Illinois Shakespeare Festival

General Management Responsibilities: Directly supervised all general management areas related to production, including Marketing, Publicity, Graphic Design, Box Office, House Management, Photography, Income Financial Records, Archives, etc., for 100-150 performances a year, including:

• Illinois State Theatre - six mainstage shows each year, alternating in Allen and Westhoff theatres
• Illinois State Dance Theatre - two dance concerts each year, alternating in Allen and Westhoff theatres
• The Studio Theatre- four productions each year in the Studio Theatre
• The Illinois Shakespeare Festival - professional summer theatre with 40 performances of three shows in rotating repertory in the Festival Theatre at Ewing Manor and in Westhoff Theatre (responsibilities focused on web site and program guide after 1999).

Other areas of responsibility

• Teach the Theatre Management concentration (see Teaching Experience)
• Served as editor for Theatre Alumni "Spotlight" newsletter and coordinated alumni reunions and other information and events
• Organized and managed all auditions for Illinois State Theatre and The Studio Theatre
• Created and updated all Theatre Department recruitment materials and prepared recruitment displays
• Assisted with special events, guest artists, cooperative events
• Created and maintained web sites for the Theatre Department and Illinois Shakespeare Festival

Committees

• Member of Theatre Production Committee 13 years (two years as Chair)
• Member of Theatre and Cinema Studies Area
• Member of Illinois State University Parking Board
• Past member and chair of the Illinois State University Parking Enhancement Team
• Past member of Illinois State University Advertising Policies committee
• Member, past and present, for various search committees and Dean's Study Groups
• Faculty advisor for numerous Freestage productions
• Member of Illinois State University Educating Illinois implementation team

Select Accomplishments

• Created and adapted Box Office and House Management systems and controls for Illinois State Theatre
• Created unique database system for managing and tracking auditions
• Initiated the MBA program in Arts Management
• Computerized the Illinois State Theatre and Illinois Shakespeare Festival box offices

Other Work Experience

Executive Director, Gregg Smith Singers
NYC (1986-88)

• Administered New York Concert Series, Adirondacks Summer Music Festival, GSS Recording Company, Art Songs Series
• Coordinated two week tour in France
• Guided organization through first certified audit
• Handled board development, marketing, and fundraising, including four annual successful National Endowment for the Arts grants

Associate, Opportunity Resources for the Arts (non-profit arts head-hunting firm)
NYC (1985-86)

• Screened, recruited, and interviewed candidates for top arts administration positions.

Associate, Katz Productions
NYC (1983-85)

• Booking Agent for various bus-and-truck theatricals, including Pump Boys and Dinettes, Doonesbury, entertainer David Copperfield, Famous People Players, and others
• Assisted with production and legal details for the Broadway production of Big River (Katz Productions was a co-producer of Big River, as well as sharing an office with Dodger Productions)
• Assistant Company Manager/Truck Driver for touring production of Mass Appeal
• Coordinated displays and showcases for Association of Performing Arts Presenters annual conference in New York City

General Manager, Corning Summer Theatre
Corning, New York (1984)

• Handled all general management responsibilities for this COST summer-stock theatre

Area Manager, Comprehensive Training and Employment Act Area 16 Iowa
Burlington, Iowa (1980-83)

• Supervised job training programs
• Selected by Department of Labor to provide training for the Nevada Consortium
• Wrote $2.1 million grant for the replacement Job Training Partnership Act program

Chicago Branch Manager, Selective Distributors, Inc.
Streamwood, Illinois (1979-80)

• Managed advertising distribution for the Chicago area

Touring musical performer, The Roger Reitzel Show
(1975-79)

• Travelled nationally with The Roger Reitzel Show, as back-up vocalist, straight man, and instrumentalist, playing piano, synthesizer, and keyboard bass
• Performed once with comedian Henny Youngman

Teaching Experience

Fine Arts Classes (Illinois State University):

• Theatre 344 - Principles of Theatre Management (1988-2001, 2004-present)
• Theatre 345 - Advanced Theatre Management (1990-2001, 2004-present)
• Art/Music/Theatre 350 - Software Design for the Arts II: web design (2002-2004)
• Theatre 309 - American Musical Theatre History (one time)
• Theatre 102/302 - Theatre Practicum in Box Office and Ushering (each semester)
• Directed Projects - Various topics including Marketing/Publicity, Box Office Management, House Management, Graphic Design (each semester)
• Independent Study - Various topics including Financial Management, Fundraising, Theatrical Photography, Advanced Computer Graphics/Layout (occasionally)

Computer Short Courses (Illinois State University THE/MUS/ART 301 courses):

• Photoshop
• Quark XPress
• Basics of Web Design (including one distance learning class)

Workshops and other teaching:

• Conducted workshops for the Office of Research in Arts Technology in multimedia computer arts presentation, the internet, and web searching
• Conducted workshops for the Illinois High School Theatre Festival on the internet, theatrical photography, arts management, and computers in the arts
• Conducted workshops on theatrical photography to technical theatre classes at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University
• Taught course in Logic at Carl Sandburg College

Artistic Skills/Experience

Recent Musical Theatre and Theatre Production Roles:

• Conductor/Pianist - A Chorus Line - Illinois State Freestage (2003)
• Conductor/Pianist - Ain't Misbehavin' - Illinois State Theatre (2002)
• Conductor/Pianist - Little Shop of Horrors - Illinois State Freestage (2002)
• Musical Director/Musical Saw/Washtub Bass - The Grapes of Wrath - Illinois State Theatre (2000)
• Musical Director/Conductor/Pianist - Company - Illinois State Theatre (1999)
• Musical Director/Conductor/Pianist - Working - Studio Theatre (1998)
• Musical Director/Conductor/Pianist - Assassins - Studio Theatre (1997)
• Originated role of Father/Pianist - Now Look What You Made Me Do - Illinois State Theatre (1995)
• Role of Artie Shaughnessy - House of Blue Leaves - Illinois State Freestage (1994)
• Director - How the Other Half Loves - Illinois State Freestage (1989)

Music Skills:

• Proficient on piano (accompanist, musical theatre performer, lounge performer); also play (or have played) trombone, baritone, synthesizers, organ, accordion, washtub bass, musical saw
• Past singer with the Moline Boys Choir

Performance Art:

• Photographer/writer/co-creator of The Living Canvas 2005 (Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Summer 2005)
• Photographer/writer/co-creator of The Ascent of The Living Canvas (Boxer Rebellion Theatre in Chicago, Summer 2004)
• Photographer/writer/co-creator of The Living Canvas: An Odyssey (Chicago Actors Studio in Chicago, Summer 2002)
• Photographer/writer/co-creator of The Living Canvas (Strawdog Theatre in Chicago, Summer 2001)
• Photographer/co-creator of The Living (and breathing) Canvas (Studio Theatre, February 2001) "Breathtaking!" - The Daily Vidette
• Director/Adapter - Why Am I Afraid of Love - Illinois State Freestage (1990)

Photography:

Fine Art Photography

• Images included in United Nations presentation entitled "Furrows and Deltas:The Erogenous Zones of Mother Earth" in Washington, DC.
• (faux)-toe group exhibit at Pigeon Gallery, Normal, IL (February 1999)
• Living Canvas solo exhibit at Greenview Arts Center, Chicago (September 1998) with opening multi-media photography presentation in addition to physical exhibit
• Various photography shows at Theatre of Ted, Illinois State University
• Online Photo Gallery (ongoing) at www.thelivingcanvas.com - recipient of numerous awards and reviews

Theatrical Photography

• Production Photographer for over 200 theatre productions - currently sole theatre photographer for Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University
• B&W and color publicity and archive photography published in magazines and newspapers all over the country, including the New York Times, as well as in television spots (advertising and feature)
• B&W and color theatrical photography featured in various publications, including the 1999 Illinois Shakespeare Festival calendar, various brochures, program guides, newsletters, recruitment materials, web sites, etc., for the Theatre Department at Illinois State University

Dance Photography

• "Catch us if you can: Dance Photography on the Fly" featuring the use of blurs in dance photography to capture motion, presented on the web and in other informal presentations.

Other Photography

• 35 images of Australia published by McMillan Publishing on CD-ROM
• Images included in various multimedia theatrical productions at Illinois State Theatre, Illinois State Mainstage, and Studio Theatre.

Computer Skills

Expert in the following software:

• Photoshop
• Quark XPress
• BBEdit and html programming
• MacOS and Windows

Also familiar with Acrobat, Illustrator, Freehand, MSWord/Excel, ClarisWorks/AppleWorks, various other word processing, graphics and utilities software programs.

Desktop and Web Publishing Accomplishments

• Recipient of the Adam Award Citation for Design for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Program Guide

Sampling of desktop publishing materials produced include:

• 1999 Illinois Shakespeare Festival full-color wall calendar
• Various Illinois Shakespeare Festival Program Guides, posters, brochures, advertisements
• Various Illinois State Theatre posters, programs, advertisements
• Illinois State University Department of Theatre recruitment materials
• Illinois State University Department of Theatre "Spotlight" (editor and designer)
• Self-published the book "The Quintus Principle" (1992)

Created, designed, and maintained the following web sites

• Illinois State Theatre (1990-2000)
• Illinois Shakespeare Festival (1992-2000)
• TheLivingCanvas.com (1992-present)
• DareToSuck.com (2002-present)
• LOTRscrapbook.com (2001-2003)
• DrugWarRant.com (2003-present)

Web awards include:

• Magellan 4-star site
• AOL Netfind Suggested Site
• InfoService Super Site
• Excite "Must See" 4-star site
• "Best of the Web" site from "Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet" rating site

Other Associations/Interests

• President, Board of Directors, New Millennium Theatre Company, Chicago
• Member, Board of Directors, Chicago Dance Crash, Chicago
• First recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Goldfarb Awards (a student voted award, now named the Pete Guither Lifetime Achievement Award)
• Co-founder and performer for Theatre of Ted, a weekly underground theatre event (1990-2000)
• Ex-officio member of Friends of the Arts
• Member of the Illinois Shakespeare Society
• Past member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters
• Faculty advisor for Mobilizing Students and Activists for Hemp
• Past faculty advisor for Normal SSDP, the local chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy
• Co-Founder, Gilbert Street Players (Mt. Vernon, Iowa)
• Past President, Hancock County Theatre (Hamilton, Illinois)
• Speaker for various service organizations like Kiwanis club, plus Normal Public Library, Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and others
• Guest panelist on Audience Development for the 2000 United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Conference in Denver