Matthew Schliesman
entertainingarts
CREATIVE & CONSULTING includes
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AUTHOR -- 2023: in the final stages of development of The Search for Gordon: And Other Family Ghosts. This is a nonfiction genealogical adventure story about our lost and forgotten ancestors.
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PLAYWRIGHT: Birch Hollow. The first production was presented by The Masquers in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, November 2015 (For the tone of the play think "Green Acres" meets Walton's Mountain, with a touch of "The Twilight Zone.")
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AUTHOR: NIMBUS, a metaphysical adventure novel published in 2004, Infinity Publishing.
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CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Have offered a diverse range of freelance services spanning management and strategic planning; show and event creation, development, and operations; writing and directing commissioned projects; speechwriter; formation of custom training programs; company policy development; marketing and public relations support. Clients have included Paramount Parks, Busch Entertainment Corporation, Thinkwell Design & Production, Heartbeat Productions, Legoland California, Thomas-Gregor Associates, and Mayor Justin Nickels, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
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As Vice President of Entertainment for Knott's Berry Farm: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR for America’s first theme park. Directed creative, production, and operational teams over dozens of original stage productions, including those for the licensed Peanuts® characters; big-stage ice shows; musical revues; Wild West stunt shows; dolphin and sea lion shows; old-fashioned melodramas; and a wide range of street shows. Led creative, production, and operational teams for special events including the world’s largest live Halloween spectacle—Knott’s Scary Farm Halloween Haunt®, Knott’s Merry Farm® (Christmas season), and others.
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STAGE DIRECTOR: As a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, directed-- Buried Child, Personals, Jesus Christ Superstar, Murder at the Howard Johnsons, and Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
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PERFORMANCE: Still occasionally taking the stage as a master of ceremonies, singer, or actor. Representative stage roles include R. P. MacMurphy in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST; Michael in I DO, I DO; George in ALL MY SONS; Henry in THE REAL THING; King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
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Final moments of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1989. Director.




Manitowoc Public Library Fundraising show -- performing IRVING BERLIN MEDLEY with Kevin Sievert and Erin LaFond, 2015.