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John Moletress

Birth Place: United States

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John Moletress BIO

John Moletress is a multi-disciplined artist who collides the cerebral and the visceral in performance through collaborations with artists of mixed disciplines, cultural backgrounds and intentions of artistic expression. His primary focus is the deconstruction of Western ideology by way of an intercultural dialogue which explores the architecture of contemporary life through a deep understanding of the human condition.

He is the Founding Director of force/collision, a performance ensemble dedicated to collaboration and interdisciplinary work. Additionally, he is an associate artist at Steel River Playhouse in southeastern Pennsylvania, an educator for the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival and a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Previously, he was awarded the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre for his co-founding of Factory 449, for which he directed two world premieres and one regional premiere. As a writer, he has contributed articles to Theatre Communications Group’s 2013 Annual Conference, HowlRound and the Station Nightclub Fire Memorial.

He has directed premieres by such playwrights as Erik Ehn, Caridad Svich, Craig Wright, Neil Labute, Winter Miller and Chiori Miyagawa, as well as having work performed at Arena Stage, La MaMa ETC, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Stages Repertory Theatre and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. He has been a multiple recipient of funding awards from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Creative Communities Fund, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Washington, DC 2012 Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence.

John Moletress News


Rebecca Johannsen Returns To San Diego CSU San Marcos


In a unique collaboration with CSU San Marcos, theatre artist and educator  Rebecca Johannsen returns to San Diego to present her moving and powerful exploration of female soldiers. Women at War is devised from Johannsen's interviews conducted with the US Army's Female Engagement Team (FET) Unit, deployed to Afghanistan from 2012-2013. The unit's mission was to engage with the local female Afghan population to build relationships and gather intelligence. They often found themselves in combat zones before women were legally allowed in combat, and received intensive physical training to prepare for the mission. The production runs November 7-10. Talk-backs will follow each production in collaboration with CSUSM Veteran's Center.    

HOME Live Art Installation Comes to Atlas Performing Arts Center Today


HOME is a live art installation that unravels the question of 'what is home?' created by artist-collaborators John Moletress and Eames Armstrong. Images of home constructed from child's toys, clothing and musical instruments are rendered unstable, destroyed and reconstructed in unfamiliar forms by the performers. This 5 hour durational performance will take place in the front windows of Atlas Performing Arts Center today, March 5, 4:00-9:00p. This event is presented as part of INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL 2016.

HOME Live Art Installation Comes to Atlas Performing Arts Center, 3/5


HOME is a live art installation that unravels the question of 'what is home?' created by artist-collaborators John Moletress and Eames Armstrong. Images of home constructed from child's toys, clothing and musical instruments are rendered unstable, destroyed and reconstructed in unfamiliar forms by the performers. This 5 hour durational performance will take place in the front windows of Atlas Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 5, 4:00-9:00p. This event is presented as part of INTERSECTIONS FESTIVAL 2016.

Caridad Svich's SANCTUARY and More Set for Arena Stage's 2015-16 Kogod Cradle Series


Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces three projects that have been selected for the 2015/16 Kogod Cradle Series as part of the American Voices New Play Institute. Focused on the development of new plays and devised work by artists from the Greater Washington, D.C. area and around the country, this series of readings and workshops invites artists and audiences to actively explore the new work development process.

Caridad Svich's SANCTUARY and More Set for Arena Stage's 2015-16 Kogod Cradle Series


Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces three projects that have been selected for the 2015/16 Kogod Cradle Series as part of the American Voices New Play Institute. Focused on the development of new plays and devised work by artists from the Greater Washington, D.C. area and around the country, this series of readings and workshops invites artists and audiences to actively explore the new work development process.

2015 Queer New York International Arts Festival Kicks Off Today


The Queer New York International Arts Festival (QNYIA) kicks off the lineup for the 2015 festival.

Queer New York International Arts Festival Sets 2015 Lineup; Runs 9/16-26


The Queer New York International Arts Festival (QNYIA) announces the lineup for the 2015 festival.

INNOVATION IN FIVE ACTS, Edited by Caridad Svich, Hits the Shelves


Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has just released a new collection, INNOVATION IN FIVE ACTS, edited by Caridad Svich, the first publication in TCG Book's new Sourcebook series.

McDaniel College Presents World Premiere of WENDELL, Beginning Tonight


McDaniel College theatre arts students perform in the world-premiere of 'Wendell,' loosely based on the play 'Woyzeck' by Georg Buchner.

McDaniel College to Present World Premiere of WENDELL This Month


McDaniel College theatre arts students perform in the world-premiere of "Wendell," loosely based on the play "Woyzeck" by Georg Buchner.

HOMOTOPIA's 2014 Festival Programme Announced


?Having secured Homotopia's future for another 3 years with renewed Arts Council support we are delighted to present the 2014 festival packed with exciting national premieres (DV8), regional firsts (Andy Warhol and Catherine Opie exhibitions) unique collaborations (Fenella Fielding and Le Gateau Chocolat) and exclusive appearances (Terence Davies) that appeal to audiences gay and straight alike.

Icon Derek Jarman Conjured in Premiere 3-City Performance


A premiere collaboration between D.C.-based performing ensemble force/collision and OBIE award-winning playwright Caridad Svich, JARMAN (all this maddening beauty) kicks off a 3-city performance tour on October 19 at Dance Place in their newly renovated space in Northeast D.C.

Artist, Activist & Gardener Derek Jarman Conjured In Premiere Solo Performance, Oct. 19-23


JARMAN (all this maddening beauty) is a premiere performance collaboration between the dynamic ensemble force/collision and OBIE award-winning playwright Caridad Svic, playing October 19 and 23. Archival home movies, new video, sound and live performance merge together to reconstruct the essence of the cult figure, artistic legacy and punk movement.

GENERATION Q Series, THE OLDEST PROFESSION and More Set for The Rainbow Theatre Project's 2014-15 Season


After a successful inaugural season, The Rainbow Theatre Project has announced their second season of three evenings of staged readings, two fully-staged productions, a co-production and a cabaret that highlight, reflect and embrace the LGBTQ experience. The company's first season was comprised of five staged readings of early and contemporary works from the LGBTQ theatrical canon, including a concert version of recent Off-Broadway musical sensation YANK!.

force/collision Presents JARMAN (ALL THIS MADDENING BEAUTY), Now thru 4/27


force/collision announces its current performance project, Jarman (all this maddening beauty) will be livestreamed on HowlRound TV on April 20th at 4:00pm. Inspired by queer avant-garde artist, activist and filmmaker, Jarman (all this maddening beauty) invades the mind and artistic aesthetic of Derek Jarman (The Last of England, Sebastiane, The Tempest) to create a poetic and visually dynamic mash-up of video and live performance. This project will premiere in 2014 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Jarman's death.

force/collision to Present JARMAN (ALL THIS MADDENING BEAUTY), 4/17-27


force/collision announces its current performance project, Jarman (all this maddening beauty) will be livestreamed on HowlRound TV on April 20th at 4:00pm. Inspired by queer avant-garde artist, activist and filmmaker, Jarman (all this maddening beauty) invades the mind and artistic aesthetic of Derek Jarman (The Last of England, Sebastiane, The Tempest) to create a poetic and visually dynamic mash-up of video and live performance. This project will premiere in 2014 to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Jarman's death.

Rainbow Theatre Project Presents SAY YOU LOVE SATAN, 2/24


The Rainbow Theatre Project presents Say You Love Satan by D.C.-native Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa in the third slot of their inaugural season of concert readings. Directed by John Moletress, Satan plays at Source in D.C. on Monday, February 24, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., and will be preceded by a reading of Frank Anthony Polito's short play, White Room w/ Red Door, directed by The Rainbow Theatre Project's Producing Artistic Director, H. Lee Gable.

Tracy Olivera, Jenna Sokolowski & More Set for SEPARATE ROOMS Reading at Kennedy Center's Page-To-Stage Festival, 9/2


On Labor Day, September 2 at 7:30pm, the 12th Annual Kennedy Center Page-To-Stage Festival will host force/collision for a reading of Joe Calarco's new play Separate Rooms. The cast includes Tracy Olivera (Broadway's Ragtime, Ford's Theatre's Hello, Dolly!),Jenna Sokolowski (Woolly Mammoth's Mr. Burns, a post-electric play and Signature's Title of show), Thomas Keegan (Signature's Dying City),Vanessa Lock (Signature's God of Carnage), Tonya Beckman Ross (Shakespeare Theatre Company's Lady Windermere's Fan), Chris Stezin(Theatre J's The Religion Thing), Matthew Wilson (Faction of Fools), Joseph Carlson (Synetic's Home of the Solider) and Harlan Work(Theatre J's Our Class). The reading will be directed by force/collision Founding Director John Moletress and be followed by a talkback with playwright Joe Calarco, cast and director.

Force/Collision to Present TRUST ME by Falk Richter at Arena Stage, 6/13


The 2012/13 season of the Kogod Cradle Series concludes with the work of local company force/collision and the development of their newest piece, TRUST ME by Falk Richter. The company will perform approximately 45 minutes of work, followed by an open rehearsal in which the audience will have an opportunity to see the process in action followed by a brief post-show discussion.

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