Chris Fields is a Los Angeles based director, actor and teacher.

As founding Artistic Director of The Echo, he’s produced, to date, 63 Los Angeles premieres, 48 of which were world premieres, and of those, 28 were commissioned.

As a director, most recently: the Los Angeles Premiere of Miki Johnson’s AMERICAN FALLS, and the World Premieres of Tommy Smith’s FUGUE and FIREMEN He won the LADCC award for direction for FIREMEN as well as winning the LA Weekly Award for Best Comedy Direction for his production of Gary Lennon’s A FAMILY THING. Additionally, among many others: the world premiere of Kate Robin’s WHAT THEY HAVE at South Coast Repertory, the Los Angeles Premiere of Jessica Goldberg’s BODY POLITIC which received four Ovation nominations, the World Premiere of THE ILLUSTRIOUS BIRTH OF PADRAIC DUFFY, the Los Angeles Premieres of Kate Robin’s ANON and Sarah Ruhl’s MELANCHOLY PLAY, the World Premiere of Paul Zimmerman’s PIGS AND BUGS, and the World Premiere of EAT ME by Jacqueline Wright, which was nominated for six LA Weekly Awards including Best Director. His work in film includes his adaptation of Neal Bell’s OUT THE WINDOW, which he produced and directed, and his recent short SUNNSLOPE, which was awarded Best New York Film at the New York Film and Video Festival and nominated for Best in Fest at the Great Lakes Film Festival.

In 1995, he founded the Ojai Playwrights Conference, serving as Artistic Director until 2000. While there, he was responsible for bringing David Lindsay-Abaire, Adam Rapp, Kira Obolensky, Deborah Jo Laufer, Neena Beber and Ari Roth, to Southern California as well as work-shopping BETTY’S SUMMER VACATIION by Christopher Durang and David Ives’ POLISH JOKE, among many others.

As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway in James Duff’s HOMEFORNT with Carroll O’Connor and Frances Sternhagen directed by Michael Attenborough, off Broadway in Gary Sinise’s original Steppenwolf production of ORPHANS, Michael Greif’s MACHINAL at both Naked Angels and The Public and the world premiere of David Ives’ WORDS WORDS WORDS at The Manhattan Punchline, to name just a few. Regionally, he’s worked at The Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, The Philadelphia Drama Guild, The Rep Theatre of St. Louis, and The Missouri Repertory Theatre and was a proud member of the acting ensemble for Lloyd Richards at The Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. On film: ALIEN3, THE GAME, FIGHT CLUB and ZODIAC for David Fincher as well as JURASSIC PARK, APOLLO 13 and STARGATE among others. He’s also been in numerous hour, half-hour, mini-series and mow’s on television.

Chris was an adjunct professor of drama at SUNY Purchase and maintains a workshop in Los Angeles. (www.chrisfieldsactingstudio.com)