Joseph M. Olivieri

Joe Olivieri was Head of the undergraduate Acting program for most of his 25-year tenure with the Department of Theater. Before joining the faculty at UCLA, he was head of the MFA and BFA Acting Programs at West Virginia University. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association (AEA).  Regional theater credits include Denver Center Theater, PCPA Theaterfest, San Jose Repertory Company, Pittsburgh’s City Theater, Carnegie Mellon Showcase of New Plays, West Virginia Public Theatre, and the American Conservatory Theater, where he received an MFA in Acting.  He is a founding member of Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, California where he has directed several award-winning productions.  Joe is the author of Shakespeare without Fear: A User-Friendly Guide to Acting Shakespeare, and co-author of FLIXACTING: Illustrating Acting Skills through Film Performance, a media-rich e-book.  Joe is the proud father of Luca and Tessa Olivieri and is blissfully married to professor, actress, and author Cathy O’Dell, a veteran member of the Theater faculty at West Virginia University.