Who Is Jef?

Through my work I strive to empower children by making my performance a safe place for the children to interact with me, bridging the boundary between audience and artist.

Currently

Included in the NC Arts Council's Touring Artist Directory
Designated a Teaching Artist by the North Carolina Arts Council
Included on the roster of the South Carolina Arts Commission
a Fellow with the A+ Schools Program in North Carolina

Training

As a mime, I apprenticed with C.W. Metcalf and Tony Montanaro, with brief instruction from Jacques Lecoq.
My other studies include:
- Acting with William Hickey at the H.B. Studio
- Clowning with Ezekiel Peterhof
- Period Dance and Style with William Burdick
- Commedia dell'arte with Joan Schirle and Donald Forrest at the Dell'Arte School
- Ballet with Beverly Shalomith
- Modern dance with Carol Richards
- Tai Chi Chuan with Frank Wong
Other skills gained along the way include:
- Juggling and variety arts
- unicycling
- stiltwalking
- maskmaking
- gourd crafting.

History

1976 to 1993

I was a member TOUCH, North Carolina's touring mime theater ensemble. With TOUCH I created, collaborated on, directed, and performed over fifty mime theater works, touring thousands of performances to audiences throughout the southeastern United States. TOUCH performed in hospitals and prisons, day care centers and college fine arts centers, in concert halls, and on television. They appeared at Lincoln Center's Out-of-Doors Festival in New York and the Alternate ROOTS Festival in Atlanta. The North Carolina Symphony and the Charlotte Symphony both commissioned TOUCH to create and perform original works in concert with them. In 1990, TOUCH received the North Carolina Theater Conference Award for Excellence in Theater for Youth.

I have appeared in two UNC-TV special productions with the North Carolina Symphony: TOUCH Brings Music to Life, and Carnival of the Animals. When my movement/mime skills have been needed, I've also appeared in productions by other theater companies, including: as a mime with Omimeo in Charlotte, NC; as the plant, Audrey II in Atlanta and Raleigh productions of Little Shop of Horrors; as The Mute in Flat Rock Playhouse and Temple Theater productions of The Fantasticks; with his juggling partner, Ken Kaye, and as a street performer/juggler in the opera Pagliacci.

1993-1997

I created and performed as the mascot for the Durham Bulls Baseball Team, Wool E. Bull.

1995 to 1999

I was the Managing Director for the Jelly Educational Theater.

1999 to Present

I perform solo at fairs and festivals throughout the Southeast and share my arts education work with students of all ages.