Michael "Dola" Amendola
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Michael (he/they) is a Philadelphia & NYC-based creator-performer, theatre educator, writer, director, musician and advocate for play as a path to empowerment, discovery, and community.
He has worked with numerous theatre companies in NYC, Austin, Philadelphia and Virginia. Some select regional productions include: Baal (with Gabriel Luna and Adriene Mishler, directed by Obie and Lucille Lortel award-winning director Dustin Wills); the solo show Every Brilliant Thing at Mill Mountain Theatre; Our Town at ZACH (Austin Critics’ Table Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’), 100 performances as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the American Shakespeare Center, and 600 performances of the Off-Broadway award-nominated comedy hit, Drunk Shakespeare. ​
​​He was an original ensemble member of Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre, the Executive Director of Moonshot Theatre Company, is the Executive Producer (as well as a performer) of the award-winning variety show, MADCAP & BUSTY, and has performed at festivals in NYC, Philadelphia, Austin, and Cincinnati.
He earned his BFA in Acting from Texas State University and has trained in various territories with world-renowned teachers such as Giovanni Fusetti, Lauren Lane, Aitor Basauri, Sophie Amieva, Julia Proctor, Chris Bayes, Adam Lazarus, Eric Davis and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
His desire to teach and create new work in new ways has led him to The Pig Iron School where he is currently pursuing an MFA in Devised Performance.
They have taught workshops and classes for Philly Improv Theatre, The Circadium School of Contemporary Circus, Austin Shakespeare, NYC PhysFest (coming January), American Shakespeare Center, and Cannonball Festival.
He follows a clown ethos in order to disorient power and nourish imagination. If you keep playing, death can't win.
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With Love & Music -
