Brian Thorstenson
Brian Thorstenson is a San Francisco based writer, teacher and occasional performer. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Brian was a founding member of The Z Collective and one of the first resident artists of the Z Space. He is an alumni of the Resident Playwright Program of the Playwrights Foundation and one of the founding members of 6NewPlays.
Brian received the 2023 Louis and Dorina Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence and is the 2023-2025 Sinatra Chair in the Performing Arts.
Reflections on cura personalis and Ignatian pedagogy with other SCU faculty.
Select Scholarship Credits
We Build Houses Here (2023), playwright. Detour
The Twilight Aristocracy (2024), playwright. Detour
Wakefield, actor and playwright (2018). 6NewPlays
Weather to Whether, playwright (2015). Erin Mei-Ling Stuart/EmSpace
Dearly Gathered, writer and performer (2017). Created with San Francisco-based artists Rowena Richie, Christy Funsch and Chris Black
24 Postcards, writer and performer (2023)
Created with Palm Springs-based visual artist Tim Gleason and London-based choreographer Stephen Pelton (Obras Foundation, Estremoz, Portugal)
Tuesday, playwright (2006). Stephen Pelton Dance Theatre
Select Publications
The Santa Clara Wind Phone, Center for the Arts and Humanities blog (May 9, 2023)
A Movement of the Spirit, for Dancer’s Group published by In Dance (Sept 27, 2022)
Published Poems
Today, LAMDA Literary (Dec 1, 2015)
Trip No3, Burning House Press (Sept 29, 2019)
Current Work
The Road Trip Project: Parts One, Two and Three. A series of devised installations and performances.
The Orchard, playwright. A solo play created with actress Anne Darragh and director David Ford.
Playwriting
Advanced Playwriting
Literature and Performance
Devised Theater Workshop
New Playwrights’ Festival
Social Justice and the Arts
Mainstage Production Director
Devised Theater productions at SCU
Welcome to Claradise (2017) | love_stories (2019)
Pushing into the Blue (2021) | and carry what lingers (2023)