by Greg Maher
Staff Writer
For the past 15 years, Tim Miller has been traveling around holding theater workshops and his latest stop landed him at the University of La Verne.
Miller held a two hour workshop on Tuesday in Dailey Theatre. He was joined by a group of about 20 students, who participated in a series of exercises and stretches to warm up their feelings and bodies.
They also performed a series of impromptu performances under the direction of the 37-year-old actor.
Miller has taught performance art at New York University and the University of California at Riverside. He has been teaching at UCLA in the Graduate Theater Program since 1991 and he also teaches at the Claremont School of Theology.
“I am really excited. It’s encouraging to see someone who has had such a great impact all over, right here at La Verne,” said junior Margo Fiorito.
Miller, a gay man, has taught performance workshops for gay men all over the world.
“The workshops for gays are more about people. What I’m doing here is more about art,” he said.
Miller encourages his students to claim their creative voices through their performances.
“The religious right has a tradition of bashing artists, whether you’re straight, gay, black or white. Culture is a silencer of individuality and artists who express themselves. Pat Buchanan, Jessie Helms and the radical right wing of the Republican party want them to stop claiming their creative voices,” said Miller.
At the end of the workshop, everyone gathered in a circle and Miller entertained questions from the group.
“I thought it was great, it was my favorite workshop so far,” said sophomore Nicole Isaacson-Hill.
