STEVE TOTLAND is a playwright, performer, and teacher.

He is a founding member of Chicago's Lifeline Theatre where he worked on more than 45 productions in 16 years.

His plays have been produced regionally by Steppenwolf Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, The Road Theatre, the 24th Street Theatre, The Virginia Avenue Project, stageworks/Hudson, Another Country Productions, and The Herring Run Theatre Festival.

His play YOU ARE HERE was winner of the New Play Competition sponsored by Center Stage, Greenville, SC. His play FACE VALUE was nominated by Actors Theatre of Louisville for the Heideman Award. His play SWIMMING was a finalist in the Denver Center Theatre's USWest New Play Competition and was included in the Festival of New American Plays in London.

His plays have received workshops/readings at The Inkwell (Washington, D.C.), p2s2s (Palm Springs, CA), The Great Plains Theatre Conference (Omaha, NB), Ensemble Studio Theatre (Los Angeles, CA), Resonance Ensemble (NYC, NY), Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena, CA), Boston Court (Pasadena, CA), Greenway Court (Los Angeles, CA), ASK Theatre Projects (Los Angeles, CA).

His short film A DREAM LIKE YOU premiered as part of RipFest #6 in both LA and NYC.

A winner of numerous performance awards, the Chicago Tribune has called his performance work "heartbreakingly human," and the Chicago Sun-Times has praised him as "a performer of tremendous grace, musicality, and inner light." The Sun-Times has called him "a gifted writer," describing his libretto for the operetta The Adventures of Pinocchio, as "shrewd, sophisticated, full of resonance for adults as well as children." About his play Strange Case, the Chicago Tribune writes "there is enormous talent behind the play. . . a surfeit of invention, intelligence, and creativity."

As a free lance performer Totland has worked for many of Chicago's finest companies including Lifeline Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Next Theatre, Bailiwick Rep., Remy Bummpo Productions, and Stories on Stage. In Los Angeles he has performed for The Blank Theatre, The Falcon Theatre, The Odyssey Theatre, and The Virginia Avenue Project

His film credits include performances in RAISING HELEN, The PRINCESS DIARIES, THE COLLABORATORS, and SPANISH FLY.

Totland has a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. He has taught at The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, DePaul University, North Park University, National-Louis University, Pomona College, and California Institute for the Arts. He is currently drama specialist at The Buckley School (LA).

Contact:

For further information regarding Steve Totland, as well as information regarding the performance of his plays, contact him at totlands at dogear.org