JEFF MCMAHON Abridged Vita
Associate Professor
School of Theatre and Film
Arizona State University
POB 872002
Tempe, AZ 85287-2002
(480) 965-9444
jeffmcm@earthlink.net www.jeffmcmahonprojects.net
EDUCATION
MFA Creative Writing 1998 Columbia University School of The Arts. Concentration in nonfiction. Creative thesis:
Safe As Houses: one artist’s life in New York City, 1980-90
BA Interdisciplinary Theatre 1995 Empire State College/State Univ. of NY. Leach Fellowship for Performing Arts
Reed College (Portland, OR) undergraduate course work 1975-77
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Arizona State University, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Tempe, AZ) Fall 2001-present
Associate Professor (tenured) School of Theatre and Film Fall 2011-present
Assistant Professor School of Theatre and Film Fall 2005-Spring 2011
Interim Director MFA Performance/Sr. Lecturer Theatre Spring 2003-Spring 2005
Sr. Lecturer/Resident Artist Theatre/Institute for Studies in the Arts (concurrent) Fall 2001-Spring 2003
Kutztown University (Kutztown, PA) 1996-1998 Adjunct Faculty
Otis Art Institute (Los Angeles, CA) Visiting Instructor in Performance Art Fall 1991
Art Center College (Pasadena, CA) Visiting Instructor in Performance Art Fall 1991
California Institute for the Arts (Valencia, CA) Fall 1991 Visiting Instructor in Dance Video
Center for New Dance Development (Arnhem, Netherlands) Spring 1991
VISITING ARTIST (abridged)
Instituto Superior de Arte (Havana, Cuba) Sponsored by ASU Herberger College of Fine Arts
California Institute of the Arts; Dartington College (Totnes, England); Glasgow School of Art; Arts University (Brno,
Czech Republic), Univ. of Southern California; Scripps College; Columbia College; UC/Irvine; Univ. of Nevada
GRANTS AND AWARDS (abridged)
Fundación Valparaíso, Mojácar, Spain. Monthlong writer’s residency 2011
Arizona State Univ. Herberger Inst. for Design and the Arts Research Grant 2010, 2007
Edward F. Albee Foundation Writer’s Residency, Montauk, NY. Fall 2009
Institute for Humanities Research (ASU) Seed Grant. Co-P.I. grant Spring 2009 for Changing Courses
Arizona Commission on the Arts project grant 2008 for Counter Indications
Creative Capital Foundation/Arizona Commission on the Arts, 3-day seminar December 2006
Mayo Clinic/Hospice of the Valley (Scottsdale, AZ) 2006-2007 project with ASU grad students
New York State Council on the Arts, Individual Artists Playwright Commission 2003
Monette/Horwitz Trust, Research and Scholarship Award 2001
8 National Endowment for the Arts, Choreographer Fellowships 1996, 1992-94, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1984
New York State Council on the Arts, New Works for Public Performance 1993/94
2 New York State Council on the Arts Dance Company Funding cyles 1989/90, 1988/89
New York Foundation for the Arts Choreography Fellowship 1988
National Endowment for the Arts Inter-Arts Project Grant 1988
National Endowment for the Arts Dance Film/Video Project (w/ Lucy Hemmendinger) 1984
LIVE PERFORMANCE: (abridged)
What Is It Worth?/Market-Based Memories work in progress scheduled for February 2014, ASU.
Columbia University School of the Arts alumni reading. KGB (NYC) January 2014
Two Arguments with My Mother “The Most of Lit Lounge” Scottsdale Center for the Performing
Arts 2013
Two Arguments with My Mother Lit Lounge at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art 2013
Tributaries monologs in development. Performance Space 122 Benefit (NYC) 2011. Face to Face Festival, LOST
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Theatre (London) 2012, The Moth (NYC) 2012
Big Love choreographer for Charles Mee play directed by Kim Weild. ASU Mainstage 2010
Straight Talk script in progress. Premiered Dixon Place (NYC) July 2010
Changing Courses: the Real Dinner Theatre (Whole, Local & Slow) collaborative theatre project 2008-2010
Counter Indications collaborative performance installation Space 55 Phoenix 2008
Failure to Thrive (we small hours) solo. Hemispheric Inst. for Performance and Politics (Buenos Aires) 2007; Dixon
Place (NYC) 2007, Highways (Santa Monica) 2008
Honorable Discharge wrote/directed. Dixon Place (NYC) 2004; Performance Studies Int. (Brown University) 2005
A Certain Release Digital theatre piece written/directed by JM. Collaboration with engineers, dramaturg, composer,
and multimedia designer from New York and California. ASU ISA Digital Arts Ranch (2003)
HEEL written and performed by JM. Collaboration with ISA resident artists 2002 Intelligent Stage/ISA.
911: Calling the Creative Community Organized with colleague Lance Gharavi series of events Fall 2001
Project Desire: the mountains and the plains collab. w/ Brian Webb. Jazz City Fest. (Edmonton, Alberta) 1997;
Firehall Arts Centre (Vancouver, B.C.) Dancers’ Studio West (Calgary) 1997; Brian Webb Dance
(Edmonton) 1998; Dancemakers (Toronto), Performance Space 122 (NYC) 1999
City Of God Solo. Dance Theater Workshop (NYC) 1993; Columbia College (Chicago) 1994; Brian Webb Dance
(Edmonton); Dance Hall (Cincinnatti); Los Angeles Festival 1993; HOME/Public Theater NYC 1992
Torn Language/Dialogue Of Doubt w/Elia Arce, Keith Mason. Premiere Dance Theater Workshop (NYC) 1992
Scatter Solo. Performance Space 122 1991 Jacob's Pillow Dance; Newport Harbor Art Museum; Cleveland Perf. Art
Fest. 1992
Discontents Solo. Dance Theater Workshop (NYC) 1990; Cleveland Performance Art Fest.; Highways 1990; Arts
Fest. Atlanta 1989; Barnsdall Gallery (LA); "P.S. 122 Field Trips" (Toronto,Miami, Cincinnati) 1990;
Towson State Univ. 1991; Temple Univ./Tyler School of Arts; Center for Contemp. Art (Santa Fe); JumpStart Theater (San Antonio) 1992
Away From You Group piece. Premiere Performance Space 122 1988
Perfect Place Solo. Premiere Barn Theater (Chilmark, MA) 1988; The Yard at ChoreoSpace (NYC) 1988;
Calling Solo. Performance Space 122 (NYC) 1988; Wallenboyd Theater (LA); Cleveland Perf. Art Fest. 1989
Palisade collab. with Jacki Apple. Santa Monica Arts Fest. 1987
Circle Of Lines/Divided Grounds Solo. PS 1 Spring Dance Series, 1987 (NYC); Dia Art Foundation NYC 1987
It Is You Speaking Solo. Zap Club (Brighton, U.K.); Institut Francais (Copenhagen) Negerhalle (Munich); Dance
Hall (Cincinnati) 1986
More Moving Picture The Neuberger Museum (Purchase,NY) 1985
Your Helping Hand Premiere P.S. 122, 1985 The Kitchen (NYC) 1984, LA Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE)
Performances reviews: Village Voice, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Edmonton Journal, Chicago Reader,
Baltimore Sun, Toronto Star, Miami Beach Antenna, Dialogue, High Performance, Chicago Tribune, Cincinnati
Enquirer, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Artweek,
PUBLISHED ESSAYS/SCRIPTS:
“Taking Pictures” Kenyon Review Online Fall 2013
“Petro-Koch: a proposal for the Metropolitan Museum” The Guardian June 16, 2013
“What Is It Worth?” Performance Research 18.3 'On Value' June 2013
“Stranded: Photographs by Martin Cox” Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide May/June 2013
Scripts published online Indie Theater Now 2012: Straight Talk, Failure to Thrive, HEEL
“Rehearsed and Coerced: Creating Counter Indications” TDR/The Drama Review, Summer 2011
"Follow the Money? Location, Community, and Artist Funding" TDR/The Drama Review, Summer 2006
Performing the Here & Now. an Introduction to Contemporary Theater & Performance Ed. Chris Danowski
(Kendall-Hunt 2005) scripts for HEEL and Honorable Discharge
“Future Conditional: a short time teaching in Cuba” PAJ #81 2005
“Painted Warriors of Kandahar” book review Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide (January-February 2004)
“More Songs about Buildings and Food” Performance Journal #22 (Winter/Spring 2000/2001)
“The Script of Sensation” New England Review (Summer 2000)
Threepenny Review #81 (Spring 2000)
Contact Quarterly (Winter/Spring 1996)
“Beginnings” Poor Dancers' Almanac (Duke University Press 1993)
“Letter to the Senate Subcommittee…" in Culture Wars ed. by R. Bolton (New Press 1992)
Rate of Exchange Wedge Magazine (Fall 1982
FILM/VIDEO WORKS:
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Cross Body Ride directed/shot/edited. P.S. 122 1988; Encuentro de Cine Super-8 (San Juan, P.R.) 1988; Exit Art
Int. Forum of Super-8 (NYC), Chicago Lesbian/Gay Int. Film Fest.; Hallwalls (Buffalo); "New Television" public
TV stations in NY, LA, Washington, D.C., Boston 1989; New Festival of Lesbian/Gay Film; SF Int. Lesbian/Gay
Film Fest., European Media Art Fest.(Osnabruck) 1989; Interfilm Fest. Berlin; Video Dance Fest. Amsterdam.
Biennale de la Danse Lyon 1990; IMZ Dance Screen Frankfurt
Tell Me Moving directed/shot/edited. P.S. 122 1986; Chisenhale Dance Space (London); Dance On Camera
Festival (NYC), Collective For Living Cinema (NYC); 8th Int. Fest. of Super-8 Film, Fest. of City of Quebec
1987; 5th Int. Youth Film Fest. (Turin); Int. Fest. Super-8 Film (Caracas) 1988
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
NoPassport (NYC) organized by Caridad Svich 2012, 2010
Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics: Montreal 2014 (pending), Sao Paulo, Brazil 2013; Bogota,
Colombia 2009, Buenos Aires 2007
Performance Studies International Univ. of Leeds 2012, Zagreb 2009, New York 2007, London 2006
Rothermere American Institute, Univ. of Oxford (U.K.) 2005
College Art Association 2009, 2004, 1995
Association for Theatre in Higher Education 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2003, 2002, 1995
Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics (ASU/Tempe) 2001
Modern Language Association (Washington, D.C.) 2000
Performance Art, Culture, Pedagogy Symposium (Penn State Univ.) 1996
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