BIO
Hello Hello! My name is Bria Walker-Rhoze. I am a multi-disciplinary artist & educator. I was born in sunny northern California and later moved to the less sunny western Pennsylvania area.
I received my B.F.A. from Wright State University and my M.F.A. from the National Theatre Conservatory (in conjunction with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.)
I am a self-professed nomad who has hopped all over the continental United States. Currently, the winds of change shift me back and forth between Evanston, IL and Pittsburgh, PA!
My latest endeavors have me juggling being a multi-disciplinary artist, an artistic associate at Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, IL, and an Assistant Professor of Acting at Carnegie Mellon University.
So, look around. Check out my resume & CV to see what I've been up to and, if you'd like to reach out, feel free to find my contact information below!
headshot by Tony Moux
makeup by Olivia Shipman
Upcoming
actress
FIRES IN THE MIRROR
digital staged reading - a partnership between Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre & Pittsburgh Public Theatre
Director
MYTHS & HYMNS
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
OBAMA-OLOGY
FLEETWOOD-JOURDAIN THEATRE
EMILIA
University of pittsburgh
l to r: Advika Ravishankar as Emilia 1, Julia Orff as Lady Katherine, Lauren Scheller-Wolf as Susan Bertie , Elise Dubois as Lady Cordelia, Ella Mizera as Lady Helena
FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF
SUNY New Paltz
CROWNS
co-direction w/Tim Rhoze - Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre
Avenue Q
SUNY New Paltz & University of Pittsburgh
PROFESSOR
Assistant Professor of Acting
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Inspire. Engage. Challenge.
Inspiring young performing artists to bring their unique selves to the work, engaging them in building solid techniques, and challenging them to expand their knowledge base and creative choices are the three foundational components of my artistic philosophy and performance pedagogy. These components help foster growth and individual success for young performing artists within my classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and mentoring hours. I count it an honor and responsibility to guide young performing artists toward those goals and to be a model of professionalism in their lives.
I encourage students to research, process, and experiment. Simply talking or thinking about what may or may not work for a successful performance or class does not suffice. Student success depends on engaging in trial and error. Performance is a discipline that must continue to evolve and innovate, and that evolution and innovation cannot come if there is no one to train and inspire those seeking to join and innovate the field.
Inspire. Engage. Challenge. These components have served me well throughout my professional and academic career in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion and in elevating students’ understanding of the work and their abilities inside of the work. Facilitating their journey of discovery is exciting because I am able to see them come alive in a powerful way. They become more confident, and through their work, they begin to inspire, engage, and challenge audiences in ways they never even imagined.
STAY CREATIVE web series!
The STAY CREATIVE web-series (with Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in conjunction with Piven Theatre Workshop) is a mini-lecture series that explores the history of Black Theatre. Check out all of the videos on my YouTube Channel!
WRITER
The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Op-Ed Article:
The Monologue Project
THE MONOLOGUE PROJECT
The Monologue Project (TMP) is an online resource featuring 30 original monologues from nationally recognized writers for the theater is now available to the public. TMP aims to increase the number of audition-length monologues for Women of the African Diaspora and celebrate their impact on theater and the world. We join in solidarity with the woman-driven activism of movements like Black Lives Matter, acknowledging the essential role of black women in America. We also acknowledge those women who have already contributed to this canon and who have paved the way for other writers and actors.
Participating TMP Playwrights include (in alphabetical order): Mando Alvarado, Chrystal Bates, France-Luce Benson, N’Jameh Camara, Zina Camblin, Kia Corthron, Gethsemane Herron-Coward, LeKeithia Dalcoe, William Duell, Kim El, Alesia Etinoff, Amy Evans, Rob Florence, Imani Maryahm Harrington, Dave Harris, Yona Harvey, Yvette Heyliger, Chisa Hutchinson, Levi Jelks, Christine Toy Johnson, Jewell McPherson, Dominique Morisseau, Ife Olujobi, Maxie Rockymore, Bianca Sams, Mark Southers, Daniel Talbott, Cori Thomas, Pamela Turner, Mfoniso Udofia, Bria Walker, Keith Wallace, Amy Gijsbers van Wijk, Pia Wilson, and Charlayne Woodard.
Contact
Here is where you can contact me with any questions related to performance and teaching.