MEZÇLAÕ - Creative Director :Performer:Vocalist
Greater Los Angeles Area
- Current
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- Creative Writing Instructor at Upward Bound
- Voice and Speech Professor at AMDA
- Playfair Facilitator at Playfair (Self-employed)
- Past
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- Control Clerk at Hyatt
- Service Learning Coordinator at AMERICORP Vista
- Education
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- University of California, Los Angeles
- Milwaukee Conservatory of Music
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Connections
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66
connections
- Industry
- Performing Arts
- Websites
Giovanni Ortega’s Summary
Giovanni Ortega is an actor, singer and dancer who currently performs in and around Hollywood (East West Players- "Imelda" as President Marcos, Playwright's Arena- "Conjunto", Will & Company - "The Odyssey", "Bully", Boston Court- "Gilgamesh", Latino Theater Company, American New Musical Theater, Colony and Kirk Douglas Theater - "Dogeaters"). Film credits include: Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Ray of Sunshine" (Newport Beach Film Festival), "Twixter", "Coffee Date", "CSI" and the critically acclaimed NBC series "Heroes". In addition, he has done numerous commercial and voice-over work.
He studied at the University of Illinois (Chicago), where he wrote and directed "Colonial Mentality", a Hip-Hop Theater piece that combined traditional Indian dance with Hip-Hop Music. He also performed his one man show "Ako", the spoken word "Griot Speaks Out" . Thereafter, Giovanni attended Graduate school at the UCLA MFA program in Theater, Film and TV. While in UCLA, he curated musical pieces such as "Felicity is a Cynical Art", "Noche de Cultura", "Carnal Cabaret" and "Corazon Perdido" (Fowler Museum). In addition, he was also a dancer for Do Brasil Dance Co. and Akimbo Dance Project. Giovanni is the founder of the Arts Collaborative MEZÇLAÕ, in which he directed "Rocka in the La La Land of Lights", "Pagbabalik", "Vida y Muerto" and hosts “Noche de Artistas.”
As an educator, he was an instructor at the Asian American Theater Workshop in San Francisco,Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts (YADA) as well as Spectrum Theater, which spans Shakespeare to Hip-Hop Theater at the UCLA Arts workshop. He teaches Hip-Hop Theater at Irving Middle School, Voice and Speech at the Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts (AMDA), and Spoken Word creative writing for Upward Bound. During the Fall, he goes on a University tour with "Playfair", a one-man show that deals with Diversity and Community.
Giovanni Ortega’s Experience
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Creative Writing Instructor
Upward Bound
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
November 2007 — Present (1 year 9 months)
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Voice and Speech Professor
AMDA
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Education Management industry)
October 2007 — Present (1 year 10 months)
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Playfair Facilitator
Playfair (Self-employed)
(Self-Employed; 11-50 employees; Entertainment industry)
March 2006 — Present (3 years 5 months)
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Booking Manager : Actor
Will and CO
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Performing Arts industry)
February 2005 — Present (4 years 6 months)
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Hip- Hop Theater and Dance Instructor
Lacer
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Education Management industry)
September 2004 — Present (4 years 11 months)
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Artistic Director: Performer: Vocalist
MEZÇLAÕ
(Performing Arts industry)
June 2003 — Present (6 years 2 months)
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Spectrum Theater Professor
UCLA
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Education Management industry)
July 2001 — Present (8 years 1 month)
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Control Clerk
Hyatt
(Performing Arts industry)
1997 — 2001 (4 years)
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Service Learning Coordinator
AMERICORP Vista
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
August 1998 — August 1999 (1 year 1 month)
Giovanni Ortega’s Education
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University of California, Los Angeles
MFA , Performance , 2001 — 2004
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Milwaukee Conservatory of Music
Vocal Performance , Music , 1999 — 2001
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University of Illinois at Chicago
BA , English , 1996 — 1999
Giovanni Ortega’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
