Brooklyn College
Judylee Vivier Assistant Professor and Head of Graduate Acting Concentration jvivier@brooklyn.cuny.edu Professor Vivier received an MFA in acting from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and an MA and BA Honors from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa. She worked extensively in South Africa as a professional actress, theater educator, and director. She was a member of the acting company of Johannesburg's Performing Arts Council of the Transvaal, and also with The Durban Theatre Workshop Company, playing roles too numerous to mention in new and familiar plays. She worked closely as actress and researcher with Athol Fugard, the subject of her MA dissertation. Their collaboration culminated in a film, Fugard's People, which toured the international film festival circuit. Professor Vivier played the role of Gladys in Athol Fugard's A Lesson from Aloes, directed by Professor Thomas A. Bullard and designed by Professor John C. Scheffler at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. She played the role of Amanda in the Theater Department’s mainstage production of The Glass Menagerie, and Delia in Ayckborne’s Bedroom Farce, the goal being to mentor the graduate actors through the practice of the craft. Vivier has received a PSC-CUNY grant two years running for the development and performance of her own original solo performance piece, Oranges Like The Sun, which she has been in the process of writing since summer 2000. Five work-in-progress performances were seen at 78th Street Theatre Lab in spring 2004. The piece was further developed and returned to 78th Street for a professional six-week run in January/February, 2005. Professor Vivier came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar to study acting at the Tisch School of the Arts, and then acted at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, her roles including Poppy in Noises Off, directed by Ron Lagomasino. Because of visa restrictions she returned to South Africa for two years of teaching and performance at the University of Natal and the Natal Technikon. She taught acting, phonetics, voice/speech, text analysis, and improvisation/movement, and adapted and directed student productions and professional productions, many of which toured junior and high schools. After returning to the U.S., she taught Rutgers University, New York University, AMDA, Brooklyn College, and the Michael Howard Studios. In the fall 1999 Professor Vivier was appointed Director of the MFA Acting Program at Brooklyn College. A specialist in both acting and voice production for the actor, Professor Vivier spent two years at Hunter College studying for an MS in speech-language pathology. She intends to combine vocal training for the actor with rehabilitative work for professional performers afflicted with a pathology that limits their power and vocal expression. Professor Vivier has a keen interest in excavating, developing, releasing the power of each individual’s true voice: the true feminine voice and the true masculine voice, which is integrally connected to identity, the need to speak, to express the self, and to be heard. Vivier is an active member in the Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and the Voice and Speech Trainers' Association (VASTA), attending and participating in conferences annually. She served as a member of the Board for three years. Professor Vivier was honored with the Claire Tow Award for Distinguished Teacher in May 2007. mailto:jvivier@brooklyn.cuny.edushapeimage_2_link_0
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