BIOGRAPHY

GUSTAVO THOMAS OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Selfportrait

(Digital Work over Photograph. Gustavo Thomas © 2012)

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Butoh Artist, Performing Arts Researcher, Stage director, Photographer, Playwright, Poet, Digital Artist.

Taijiquan practitioner and compulsive traveller. 



Studies


1983- Mexico City, México. Instituto de Arte Escénico: Acting.
1985- Mexico City, México. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico: Master in Drama and Theatre / Licenciatura en Literatura Dramática y Teatro. 
1985- Mexico City, México. Antonio González Caballero's Acting Workshop: Acting. 
1985- Mexico City, México. Norma Roman Calvo's playwrights workshop.
1993- Mexico City, México. Escenología AC: Physical Actions and Physical Training with Jaime Soriano (Member of  Jerzy Grotowski's team). 
1993- Mexico City, México. Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes: Acting workshops with Julia Varley and Eugenio Barba from The Odin Teatret. 
1993- Mexico City, México. Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes: Acting workshop with members of Teatro Potlach. 
1995- Mexico City, México. Centro de Capacitación de Escritores de Televisa: TV and theatre script writing. 
1995- Mexico City, México. Museo Carrillo Gil: Workshop "Cine in video format".
2005- Beijing, China. Taijiquan Yang style with master Liu Lianyou. 
2006- Kyoto, Japan. Workshop: Appreciation of Noh and Kyogen. 
2010- Hölstebro, Denmark. Odin Teatret: Workshop "Music and rhythm applied to theatre and acting" with Frans Winter.

2010- Toronto, Canada. Children Dance Theatre: Butoh workshop with Denise Fujiwara. 
2011- Toronto, Canada. Children Dance Theatre: Whirling Dance Workshop with Ziya Azazi. 
2011- Toronto, Canada. Children Dance Theatre: Butoh workshop with Jocelyn Montpetit.
2011- Yokohama, Japan. Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio: Butoh workshop with Yoshito Ohno.
2011- Montréal, Canada. Édifice Gaston-Miron: Butoh workshop with Jocelyn Montpetit.
2011- Montréal, Canada. École Nationale de Danse: Butoh workshop with Yoshito Ohno.
2013- Yokohama, Japan. Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio: Butoh workshop with Yoshito Ohno.

2013- Tokyo, Japan. Butoh workshop with Natsu Nakajima.

2013- Tokyo, Japan. Butoh workshop with Yuri Nagaoka and Seisaku.

2013- Toronto, Canada. Kaha:wi Dance Theatre: Butoh workshop with Ko Murobushi.

2014- New York, USA. LEIMAY: Acting workshop with Mario Biagini from The Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski.

2014- Toronto, Canada. Toronto University: "Nostes: Encounter with the Open Program of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski."

2014- New York, USA. LEIMAY: Butoh workshop with Ko Murobushi.

2016- Mexico City, Mexico. CEPRODAC: Photoperformance workshop with Manuel Vason.

2017- Pátzcuaro, México. CEDRAM. Butoh workshop with Fujimaru Fujieda.

2019-Tokyo, Japan. Butoh workshop with Yuri Nagaoka and Seisaku.

2019-Tokyo, Japan. Butoh workshop with Natsu Nakajima.

2019-Tokyo, Japan. Butoh workshop with Kudo Taketeru.

2019-Yokohama, Japan. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Body Sculpture workshop (Sharing the creation of "About Kazuo Ohno") with Takao Kawaguchi.

2019-Yokohama, Japan. Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse. Video for dance and landscape with Naoto Lina.

2019-Yokohama, Japan. Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio. Butoh workshop with Yoshito Ohno.


Profesional Acting (Theatre & Film)


1988- Mexico City, Mexico. Teatro Santo Domingo/ Compañía La Rendija: "Infinitamente disponible". Stage direction: Mauricio Rodríguez.
1988- Mexico City, Mexico. CUEC: Short Film "Un verano para la ballena. Director: Jorge Vallejo.
1990- Mexico City, Mexico. CUEC: Short Filom "Aurora". Director: Carlos Marco Pérez.
1990- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Antonio González Caballero: "Atonía Sacra". Director: Gustavo Thomas.
1992- Mexico City/Fresnillo, Mexico. Film "Un cielo cruel y una tierra colorada". Director: Leopoldo Best.
1993- Mexico City, Mexico. Escenología AC: "Los niños terribles" Director: Jaime Soriano/ Edgar Ceballos.
1995/96- Mexico City, Mexico. Teatro El Galeón/Teatro Sergio Magaña: "A tu intocable persona". Director: Gonzalo Valdés Medellín.
1998- Mexico City, Mexico. Teatro En Espiral: "Al pie de la letra". Director: José Enrique Gorlero.
1998/99- Mexico City, Mexico. Teatro Casa de la Paz: "Fábula de la Mantarraya quinceañera". Director: Carlos Haro.
1999- Mexico City, Mexico. Museo de la Imagen: Performance "Toros". Director: Gustavo Thomas.
2001- Mexico City, Mexico. Museo José Luis Cuevas: "Entremeses cervantinos". Director: Gustavo Thomas.
2004- Beirut, Lebanon. Palais de la UNESCO: "50 objects to understand Mexico / 50 objetos para entender a México". Director: Gustavo Thomas.


Playwriting


1985- "Escombros". Premiered in Mexico City, 1996, Foro Luces de Bohemia. Nomination for the prize New Drama (Revelación dramatúrgica) in 1997. Published in 1996.
1989- "Atonía Sacra". Premiered in Mexico City, 1990, Foro Antonio González Caballero. Restaged in Mexico City, 1997, Foro Luces de Bohemia.
1996- "Vestido de negro". Dramatical reading in Mexico City, 1996, Foro Luces de Bohemia. Published in 2013.
1996- "La Cura". Premiered in Mexico City, 1996, Foro Luces de Bohemia. Published in 2012.
1996- "Migajas". Published in 2012.
1998- "Letanía". Premiered in Mexico City, 1998, Ateneo Español de México. Published in 2012.
2000- "Inhalaciones". Premiered in Mexico City, 1999, Foro Contigo America. 
2002- "Oscuridad". Premiered in Ecatepec, Mexico, 2002, Casa de la Cultura de Ecatepec.
2001- "Carta a los gringos". Published in 2003. Re-published in 2012.
2005- "Invocación". Dramatical reading in Beirut, Lebanon, 2004, and Mexico City, 2005. Published in 2013.


Stage direction


1990- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Antonio González Caballero: "Atonía Sacra".
1991- Morelia, Mexico. Casa de la Cultura de Morelia: "Los amigos o La Proliferación".
1992- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Shakespeare: "Tres en Josafat".
1996- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Luces de Bohemia: "La Cura".

1997- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Luces de Bohemia: "Atonía Sacra".
1998- Mexico City, Mexico. Ateneo español de México: "Letanía".

1998- Salvatierra, Mexico. Casa de la Cultura de Salvatierra: "Letanía".
1999- Mexico City, Mexico. Museo de la imagen: Performance "Toros".
1999- Mexico City, Mexico. Teatro de la casa museo León Trotsky: "Tríptico telefónico".
2000- Mexico City, Mexico. Foro Contigo América: "Inhalaciones".
2001- Mexico City, Mexico. Museo José Luis Cuevas: "Entremeses Cervantinos".
2002- Ecatepec, Mexico. Casa de la cultura de Ecatepec: "Oscuridad".
2004- Beirut, Lebanon. Palais de la UNESCO: "50 objects to understand Mexico / 50 Objetos para entender a México".


Performing arts researching and teaching:


1985/2012- Mexico City, Mexico. Research on Antonio González Caballero's Acting Method.
1987/1990- Ciudad Satélite, Mexico. Acting teacher at Instituto de Arte y teatro de Emilia Carranza.
1993- Mexico City, Mexico. Collaborator and researcher at Escenología AC, Revista teatral Máscara.
1993- Cadiz, Spain. Official relator of "Encuentro de jóvenes creadores" at Festival de teatro hispanoamericano de Cádiz.
1994- La Havana, Cuba. Escenología book presentation at "Encuentro de publicaciones teatrales".
1996/1998- Mexico City, Mexico. Member of "Investigadores de Arte Escénico (IDAE)" at Foro Luces de Bohemia.
1996- Mexico City, Mexico. Promoter of the first "Ciclo de Lecturas Dramatizadas" at Foro Luces de Bohemia.
1997- Mexico City, Mexico. Promoter of "Ciclo de Lecturas Dramatizadas de la Asociación de Escritores de México" at Casa de cultura La Pirámide. 
1998- Mexico City, Mexico. Lectures about drama creation at Colegio de Bachilleres (different locations).
1999- Mexico City, Mexico. First book published of "González Caballero's Acting Method".
2001- Mexico City, Mexico. Director at Instituto de Arte Escénico. 
2001/05- Mexico City, Mexico. Member of "AMIT, Asociación Mexicana de Investigadores Teatrales".

2001- Puebla, Mexico. Participant at "VIII Jornadas de investigadores teatrales".
2002- Tepic, Mexico. Participant at "Encuentro Teatro de Frontera".
2002- Xalapa, Mexico. Participant at "IX Jornadas de Investigadores teatrales".
2003- Mexico City, Mexico. Participant at "VII Coloquio de Teatro Frontera Norte".
2007- Beijing, China. Internet Blog dedicated  to Antonio González Caballero's work about acting.
2009- Ohio, USA. Exhibition of the video "A Chinese traditional Shadow Theatre performance in Wuzhen, China" during the exhibition "Between Light and Shadow: Chinese Puppets from the Denison Museum" at museo Denison.
2010/11- China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia. Travel research and writing on different topic of Traditional Chinese Theatre, Traditional Tibetan Performing Arts and Traditional Performing Arts of Bali.
2012- Toronto, Canada. Book "El método de actuación de Antonio González Caballero".

2013- Mexico City, Mexico. UNAM. Book presentation of "El método de actuación de Antonio González Caballero".

2014- Morelia, Mexico. Foro La mueca. Book presentation of "El método de actuación de Antonio González Caballero".

2015/2018-  Research about Butoh improvised creation techniques. 

2018- Interdanza magazine (México) Published article "El camino de los maestros muertos".

2019-Yokohama, Japan. Interview to Yoshito Ohno at Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio.


Taijiquan


1991/2003- Mexico City, Mexico. Taijiquan guide at his own independent workshop.
2005/2009- Beijing, China. Student at Taijiquan Yang Style guided by masters Liu Lianyou and Liu Qingzhou".
2008- Beijing, China. Member of Beijing Tuishou Asociation.


Poetry.


1998- Mexico City. INER: Poetry reading.

2014- Toronto, Canada. Poetry Blog (In Spanish): http://gustavothomaspoesiacuentoyliteratura.blogspot.com

2015- Carmona, España. Centro Cultural Restaurante Curro Montoya: Poetry reading.


Photography, Digital Art and Photoperformance


2010- Toronto, Canada. Independent development of digital art through photography, photo manipulation and drawing indigital format.
2011- San Francisco, USA. Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: Logo image for the exhibition "Bali: Art, Ritual and  Performance".
2012- New York, USA. Participation at the massive exhibition "Art Takes Times Square" with 5 works of photography and digital art.

2014- Toronto, Canada. Inconclusive project "Faces and Hands. Mexican migrant workers in Canada."

2014-2015- USA. Able Muse Magazine: Featured artist  with 10 photographs published in the magazine., Winter 2014-2015 edition.

2016- Mexico City, Mexico. ExTeresa Arte Actual: Photoperformance "Photo Healing" directed by Manuel Vason.

2017- Mexico City, Mexico. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. Coauthor of the book "Perderse Juntos, a journal of the Photoperformance workshop with Manuel Vason in Mexico City", edited by Haydé Lachino.

2017- Mexico City, Mexico. Casa de la Cultura de la UAEM in Tlalpan: Photoperformance "Humedad Expansiva" with Yoatzin Balbuena, Zayda Gómez and Carolina Arteaga.

2018- Guangzhou, China. Project "Pride, China Style": Photographies of proud LGTBQ/Queer Chinese: "Zhitong" and "Tango Queer". Opening Exhibition at the Mexican Consulate in Guangzhou.

2018- Guangzhou, China. Project "Pride Chinese Style", second phase: "Qipao"


Butoh


2011/13- Toronto, Canada. Production "La Danza del padre", Butoh (Gustavo Thomas) and video (Omar Ramírez Casas).
2012- Mexico City, Mexico. Short-videos with video artist Omar Ramírez Casas.
2013- Beirut, Lebanon. Beirut Exhibition Centre: Butoh performance with musician Sarah Sarhandi, during the premiere of Ana Corbero's instalación "i&i=US".

2014- Mexico City, Mexico. El Albergue del Arte: Butoh performance of "Las Cenizas del Maestro" with live music by Karla Montoya and Artemio Martínez.

2014- Morelia, Mexico. Foro La Mueca: Butoh performance during the concert of "Merope".

2014- Morelia, Mexico. Foro La Mueca: Butoh performance of "Las Cenizas del Maestro" with live music by La Mueca.

2015- Toronto, Canada. Butoh creación, "Cuerpos Lánguidos / Languid Bodies. A Butoh and video work by Gustavo Thomas and Omar Ramirez Casas".
2015- Seville, Spain. Centro Arte Contemporaneo Valentin Mandariaga: Butoh performance on "i&i=US / Yo mas Yo igual Nosotros", an art work and performance by Ana Corbero.

2015- Morelia, México. Foro La Mueca: Butoh performance "Cuerpos lánguidos".

2016- Puebla, Mexico. TETIEM: Butoh performance "Cuerpos lánguidos".

2016- Mexico City, Mexico. La Cantera: Butoh performance "Cuerpos lánguidos".

2017- Mexico City, Mexico. Estudio Recórcholis: Butoh performance "Un obsequio".
2017- Mexico City, Mexico. Creation of "Psoriasis" A Butoh performance about August Strindberg's illness during his Inferno era.

2018- Guangzhou, China. Creation of "Flowers of my Life. Four flowers, four seasons".

2018- Guangzhou, China. Mexican Consulate: Butoh performance "Tango Queer"

2018- Guangzhou, China. Watermelon Theatre. Butoh performance "Languid Bodies/Cuerpos lánguidos".

2019- Guangzhou, China. Mexican Consulate. Butoh performance "Qipao"

2019- Guangzhou, China. Butoh performance "Languid Bodies"