Texas Tech University

Guest Artist Spotlight: Dr. Budi Miller

Justin Santos

October 22, 2024

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts invited Dr. Budi Miller, the Co-Artistic Director of The Theatre of Others, to be our Maegene Nelson Visiting Cross-disciplinary scholar this fall. He is the Director of Advanced Training at the Fitzmaurice Institute, a Lead Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework, a certified integrative studies practitioner, and a UNESCO-designated master teacher of mask work. His practice intersects with Balinese Performing Arts Training (BPAT), Mask Work, Fitzmaurice Voicework, Michael Chekhov, Clown, Viewpoints, Grotowski, and Self-inquiry introduced to the world by Ramana Maharshi. Dr. Miller holds a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne and a B.F.A. in theatre from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Dr. Miller and the University Choir

In his recent visit, he held three lectures--Ethics in Professional Storytelling, Possibilities for Collaboration in Southeast Asia and Australia, and the Arts in Conversation--along with a host of teaching opportunities in classrooms in the Schools of Theatre & Dance, Art, and Music. Included among them were visits to choir rehearsal, speech classes (for stage and screen), voice, and Black Queer Intersections, as well as holding open office hours to discuss arts funding and best uses of vocal training when teaching. The Director of Theatre & Dance, Dr. Mark Charney, was most impressed with the energy he displayed: 

Dr. Miller never met a stranger. His laugh is infectious, as is the energy he brings to everything he does. Not only did he share information about the best means of perpetuating the arts, but he did so in a context that was both contemporary and career driven. We’ve rarely experienced an artist who loved the community and the students at TTU, and he was much beloved by everyone fortunate enough to spend time with this incredible artist. 

Below, I share with you a conversation that Dr. Miller and I had during this three-week residency with us:

What is your focus for your residency at Texas Tech University?

That’s a complicated question! I'm teaching different students from all three schools, and even others from a variety of colleges, even the health sciences. I'm focusing on active training through different lenses, for actors, for singers, for medical students, work that attracts and engages people from all disciplines.

What pushes you to do this work?

To be honest, it’s the only thing I know how to do well. I’m fortunate in that I get to do what I love, and since the world tells me to keep doing it, I just respond.

We know you often live and teach in Bali. Share with us how that became the home of your company, The Theatre of Others. 

My undergraduate professor at NYU worked with masks, and I became his protégé. He told me that if I wanted to really understand mask work, that I had to train with the Balinese. They know more about mask work than almost anywhere in the world. And so I went, fell in love with the culture, and found a home there. 

When did you decide to stay as long as you did?

I didn't—well, not exactly. You see, I just kept going back. Interesting story: So, over the past 23 years, I spent time returning as often as possible. When I applied for my permanent residence in Australia, I had to list all the places that I had visited in the past 10 years, and when I tallied up my travel, it turns out that three years were spent in Bali. Wow. So, I guess I essentially have lived in Bali for three years.

Talk to me about your company, the Theatre of Others?

I run it with Adam Marple, my co-artistic director. We have a podcast that you can listen to on any streaming platform. We are in our 14th year and make theatre all around the world. 

Our most recent company work was with Congolese playwright interestingly named Future Destin. Yep. That’s D, E, S, T, I N. Future Destin, a playwright whose most recent work examines the conflict related to minerals in the Congo. We also have a partnership with the University of Exeter and the British Embassy, where we are the official representatives of the arts for COP Climate Summit. We were in Egypt for COP 27, Dubai for COP 28, and this year, COP 29 will be held in Azerbaijan. I’m also looking forward to next year’s held in Brazil

For the readers who might not understand, what is COP?

COP is the Climate Summit where countries from all around the world and the policymakers meet to discuss the science and technology of climate change, hoping to make the planet a better place. We were the first theater group to perform at the Climate Summit. Each country has its own pavilion, and we performed in the UK pavilion; directly after, climate scientists used the performance to prompt discussion about the issues we shared. It was the first time in my life that I got to experience the actual immediate effects of my theatre on policy.

What is some of the training you received and how has it enhanced your work?

I am a lead teacher and head of advanced training for Fitzmaurice voice work, as well as a member of research and development at the Fitzmaurice Institute. I am a master teacher of mask work and the Michael Chekhov technique. Not only do I work with the Balinese, but I've also developed a way of training called BPAT, Balinese Performing Arts Training. I use my knowledge in my spiritual practice for awakening, authenticity and performance. All of this training allows me to find truth and authenticity, qualities that are pivotal to my success.

What is your view on the students at Texas Tech?

Beautiful! The students are great, and I really like the enthusiasm they have for the arts.

Dr. Miller and theatre students

Dr. Miller also shared that he coached Michelle Williams for her Academy Award-nominated performance in Ang Lee's movie Brokeback Mountain and has been involved in productions such as Lovecraft Country for HBO; Creed III;Ant-Man III: Marvel Universe, and he collaborates with Julian Elijah Martinez (Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Hulu). He has had the privilege of coaching and inspiring actors in many mediums: Broadway, HBO, Netflix, Showtime, major international film markets and theatres around the world, and the Indonesian Film Festival as a Judge in 2020. 

One of the myriad takeaways from Dr. Miller’s workshops is the vast array of opportunities theatre offers us and the reach it has within our society. He illustrates that no matter where one is, art is always the main spiritual and cultural vein that connects us all. Dr. Miller aims to foster a global and inclusive approach to embodied states of being and performance that honors the richness of cultural and spiritual diversity by blending the different traditions and trainings he has acquired.

His visit was so successful, the School of Theatre & Dance is actively looking for the means to collaborate, even taking students to study with him in Bali! He is one artist whose visit was truly transformative.