Who's Who in the Crew? Spotlight on: the Director/Producing Artistic Director

RANDY REINHOLZ (Choctaw) is co-creator of Native Voices at the Autry. He has directed plays across the US and Canada, including: The Rez Sisters, The Waiting Room, Hedda Gabler, The Cherry Orchard, Proof, Speed the Plow, The Glass Menagerie, Desire Under The Elms and numerous productions of Shakespeare plays. For Native Voices at the Autry, he's directed and produced Urban Tattoo and Equity productions of Jump Kiss, Stone Heart, The Red Road, The Buz'Gem Blues, The Berlin Blues, and Please Do Not Touch the Indians, and Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light; executive produced Kino & Teresa, SUPER INDIAN, Teaching Disco Square Dancing to Our Elders, and Salvage. He received a BA from William Jewell College and an MFA from Cornell University. This March, he will be honored with the Citation of Achievement from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. The citation honors alumni who have achieved distinction in their chosen spheres of endeavor and who have exhibited values of a liberal arts education and of WJC; it is the highest honor bestowed upon a WJC alumnus. He is on the Board of Directors for TYA/USA, the Advisory Committee for the Native Theater Festival at the Public Theater, and a member of The National Theatre Conference. He is a tenured professor at San Diego State University in the School of Theatre, Television, and Film and on faculty for American Indian Studies. In 2007, after ten years as Head of Acting, he was named the Director of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film at San Diego State University.

This my second time as Randy's assistant director. I love it, and learn something new at every rehearsal. Not only is Randy a great director, but he is also truly a mentor and friend. He is very conscious of leveling the playing field, treating everyone equally, and making sure that everyone feels comfortable. The rehearsal space is a very warm and safe environment.

I have loved getting to know Randy over these last four years. I thanked him last night at the end of rehearsal for sharing stories of his past; it was nice to know that he trusted me. He said to me, "Well, that's what artists do." They share. Randy is an artist in every sense of the word, and it is a pleasure to be seated next to him.