Director, screenwriter helps students find their voices

Student screenwriters and actors participating in a three-day readers theater festival now underway at Citrus College are being coached by several dedicated professionals.

The man who is pushing them to do their best is professor Neil H. Weiss, who teaches theater arts at Citrus College.

Weiss was raised in a small town in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico and attended the University of Houston in Texas where he received his bachelor's degree in theater.

"When I was a young kid, before I even got to high school, I was writing plays," Weiss said. "I continued it in high school, and I got a scholarship and attended college as an actor."

"Spreading Decline," one of his plays written after college, is about a family in Florida that owns an orange grove.

After he graduated from college, Weiss moved to Los Angeles where he acted in and directed productions for several years.

Weiss then moved to Chicago where he co-founded the critically acclaimed Cactus Theater. He also acted in and directed a variety of productions including Clifford Odets' "Golden Boy," David Rabe's "Hurlyburly," Horton Foote's "Valentine" and the world premiere of Wil Calhoun's "Call It Clover."

Weiss then moved back to L.A. and earned his master's of fine arts in directing degree from UCLA's School of Film and Television in 2001.

Weiss then transitioned to teaching and was asked to join the adjunct faculty at Citrus in 2001.

"I feel like there's a definite need in this country to teach students acting and writing in a specific way that will turn them into successful writers and actors," Weiss said. "I wanted my voice to be heard and to contribute to sort of shift the focus in what I think is the right direction, so I was very excited to do that."

Weiss is working with students on a three-day production titled "Emerging American Voices," underway in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. It features five student screenwriters, 60 student actors and history professor Dr. Bruce Solheim's "The Bronze Star."

Student actor, Edgar Cervantez, 19, is participating in the production of "The Bronze Star," "Polaroid" by student playwright Jessica Bravo and "Hard Press" by student playwright Michael Reyes.

"He's really cool and takes his directing very seriously." Cervantez said. "He is passionate about what he does. He finds a way to keep the mood light, but he wants us to give our best, just as much as he does."

Weiss said that "Emerging American Voices" initiated in his spring 2011 class when students created screenwriting projects.

In April, Cherie Brown, director of the Citrus College theater arts department, had the idea to take the screenwriting projects and turn them into a theatrical experience, he said.

"I thought it was a very exciting new thing to do and very important thing to do," Weiss said.

Brown said that working with Weiss is always a creative pleasure and a challenge. She said that she loves having him in the theater department, as he is an artist.

"He never stops until he gets what he wants. He pushes me, and I push him. We are a really good team," Brown said. "He is a go-getter and makes things happen fast."

Weiss said that working with the actors and writers has been enjoyable and productive. He also said that he has learned to become a better listener.

"I hope we reach someone sitting in the audience who has their own story to tell," he said. "I hope our audience is inspired by it and has a good time."