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To Enroll: 626-917-9637 |
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Artistic Director |
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 Angel ‘Paul’ Duran Artistic Director
A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Mr. Duran has devoted his life and service to training, teaching, performing, directing, writing, managing and producing. His theatre arts education and training began at the age of 13. After he graduated from CSULB, majoring in theatre arts, Mr. Duran continued seeking advanced training with Bill Irwin, and Rachel Rosenthal.
In 1995, he established Angel Flight Theatre Instructions, implementing a creative theatre arts program for Birney and Webster elementary in the inner cities of Long Beach, CA: successfully reallocating non-theatre arts departmental funds into the theatre arts program. In 1998, he established Angel Flight Theatre Instructions for West Covina’s parks and recreation community services program. In 2000, he established the first studio theatre in the history of West Covina, providing acting, vocal and dance training along with live stage performances for the community. Mr. Duran has served almost every role within the company, from artistic producing director to stage manager.
He is private acting coach for 2 time Billboard winner and three 3 time Grammy nominated recipient, Lupillo Rivera. Mr. Duran has also been instrumental in developing the careers of Genesis Codina, who co-starred in "Street Kings" with Keanu Reeves; Madai Buenrostro, who starred in two National commercials, one for “The Good Guys” and for “The Girls and Boys Club”; Michael Despars, winner for 1st place scene for the “California Educational Theatre Association’s” 1999 competitions; Maria Patino, 1 of 30 dancers cast in “Paquito’s Story,” directed by Debbie Allen; and Chris McKinley, who made the final round auditioning for Robert Rodriguez’ movie, “Shark Boy and Lava Girl.”
His pedagogue has included 36 courses of Theatre arts studies, including works from Michael Chekhov, Jerzy Grotowski, Constantin Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, Viola Spolin, and Ruth Zaporah. Besides having an extensive teaching repertoire he has (working with limited funds) produced written and directed 11 children’s plays, 18 dance and acting showcases, created the Angel Flight Theatre Troupe, a children’s local touring company and developed “Pillow Theatre”; a community venue for performance art.
He has also served, for the last decade, as a public school teacher for the 2 largest school districts in the state of California: Long Beach Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District. He has dedicated much of his teaching service mainly to the poor working class Latino communities and immigrant population of East Los Angeles and Long Beach. He has taught English immersion kindergarten to LEP children, middle and high school grade levels, and children with mild to severe mental retardation, handicaps, learning disabilities and emotional disorders.
As an educator, he has successfully integrated parents within the cohesive team, improving student’s self-esteem, optimism and confidence through a process of constructive and reinforcing language, evaluating each individual student’s background and tailoring exercises and assignments to fit that students current emotional and psychological state of being. His classroom has also welcomed many children from divorced/dysfunctional families: providing a stage for healing.
Mr. Duran's volunteer work includes serving on the Talent Managers Association’s RSVP committee, video camera operator and editor, auditor, for the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, chaperon for many school and theatre related activities and free theatre arts coaching to economically disadvantaged students. |