Jonathan Cole

Assistant Professor
Director, Historian
Theatre History, Directing, Acting, Stage Combat
Personal Page
jcole@willamette.edu

Jonathan is an artist and scholar with a particular love for collaborative theatre creation, stage combat, the classics, contemporary Eastern European theatre and children's theatre.

Jonathan has worked throughout the midwest and the northwest as a director, actor, fight choreographer and composer. He served as the Artistic Director of Mad Duckling Children's Theatre for 4 years, and directed numerous children's plays. He has choreographed fights for well over 30 shows all over the pacific northwest and midwest. He is a Society of American Fight Directors Certified Teacher, is the Northwest Regional Representative for the SAFD, holds Advanced Actor/Combatant status with distinction, and has studied with 12 of the 15 current and emeritus SAFD Fight Masters. He holds a black belt in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu from the Salem Budokai under Bob Parksion and Al Elfstrom, and also holds rank in Aikido and two styles of Judo. Recent directing credits include Shoebox Shakespeare, The Game of Love and Chance, Raised in Captivity, Cupid & Psyche, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Nicholas Nickleby, the dreamer examines his pillow, and Hot 'n' Throbbing and fight direction for Sueño, Marisol, Big Love, Macbeth, Nicholas Nickleby, and Hot 'n' Throbbing.

As a theatre scholar, Jonathan has presented numerous conference papers and workshops. He has particular interest in theatre pedagogy, and is currently preparing articles on directing pedagogy and the pedagogy of fight direction.

Jonathan holds a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts with emphasis in directing pedagogy and an M.S. with emphasis in acting pedagogy from the University of Oregon as well as bachelor's degrees in Theatre and Music from Dickinson State University.