Jim Wren
Jim received his BA in Psychology/Communication and Theatre Arts from Heidelberg College and his MFA in Acting/Directing at The University of Florida. Tenured in the Department of Theatre and Dance at UF in 1990, he defied conventional wisdom by leaving one month later for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he currently serves as the Coordinator of the Performance Program and MFA Acting Advisor. He also serves as Resident Fight Choreographer for Triad Stage. Jim teaches both undergraduate and graduate acting classes, and is also the Artistic Director of THTR 232- the annual summer theatre festival co-produced by UNCG Theatre and Triad Stage. As Artistic Director of UNCG Summer Repertory Theatre prior to the new festival, Jim produced over seventy plays in his sixteen years of leadership. In 2001 he received the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education and in 2005 was named Outstanding Teacher of Acting in the Southeast serving as mentor to the acting students at the National Festival. In 2006 he directed The Irene Ryan Evening of Scenes at the Kennedy Center and Moonlight and Magnolias at the Hippodrome State Theatre in Gainesville, Florida. He also recently co-wrote a new family musical Uncle Ulysses and the Mythic Sword for THTR 232, and is currently composing the music for Redbeard's Revenge, set to premier next summer. Additional credits include directing The Blue Martini for Kids With Guns at the New York International Fringe Festival, which was also selected for the Fringe Encore and remounted at the Lion Theatre. Recent fight choreography credits include Brother Wolf and Tobacco Road at Triad Stage. A member of Actors' Equity Association since 1983, recent acting credits include Our Lady of 121st Street here at UNCG and The Little Foxes at Triad Stage.
