William Fisher has been re-imagining higher ed performing arts training and practice for more than two decades. Currently serving as a Professor of Theatre at Butler University, William divides his time between the vibrant academic community, the eclectic atmosphere of Brooklyn, and international projects that bridge theory and practice. In addition to the studio, William has run immersive study programs in London, New York City, and Croatia. He is an independent artist member of IETM.  

After training under Etienne Decroux in Paris and serving as his assistant, He opened a studio and theatre in Downtown Los ANgeles, beginning the trajectory of an unexpected and distinguished career. teaching engagements include positions at UNC-Chapel Hill, CalArts, UC Irvine, the School of Theater at Ohio University as the Head of Performance and then School Director, as well as Chair of Theatre at Butler University. William began training with SITI Company in the late 90’s and maintains an association with them (see below).

As a director, William’s innovative performance work, whether generated in devising practice or from scripted plays, resonates physically, aurally, and visually and is steeped in the imperative to remake the work, and by extension the world. His productions have played in venues from Indianapolis to the Zeta Collective and LACE in Los Angeles, to international stages such as Kampnagel in Hamburg, the Vienna Theatre Festival, MKFM Festival in Pula, Croatia, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, and Borgarleikhúsid (City Theatre) in Reykjavik.

 William's creative endeavors have garnered support from prestigious institutions, including the California Arts Council, City of LA, and the NEA, the US Information Service Guest Artist Program, The Open Society/ Soros Foundation through CDU Zagreb, the Puffin Foundation, along with consistent university grants, and a Fulbright Guest Artist Fellowship at the Icelandic Arts Academy Theatre Department Theory and Practice Program. 

Noteworthy works include A Tomb for Boris Davidovich, adapted from the novel by Danilo Kiš at Kampnagel in Hamburg and the Vienna Theatre Festival; the Myths of Freedom Trilogy comprising Freedom of Information, Ready? Begin., and The Hype Performance at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE); Kristopher Kolumbo from Krleža at the Pula and Dubrovnik Festivals; and Small Lives/Big Dreams at Borgarleikhúsid (City Theater) in Reykjavik, Iceland. AEA directing credits include productions of Freud's Last Session, An Act of God, and The Lyons at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. Productions under his guidance encompass a diverse range, including The Visit, Tartuffe, Conference of the Birds Project, Cloud 9, Seven, Terminal, Mad Forest, Lunar Revolution 2.0, Love and Information, The Man Who..., The Mineola Twins, Fleeting Full 2.0 - 5 Beckett plays, a (re)Making Project from texts by Charles Mee and Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny: 20 Lessons for the 20th Century, Waiting for Godot, and Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, as well as Peter Maxwell Davies operas 8 Songs for a Mad King sung by Richard Armstrong, Miss Donnethorn’s Maggot, and the word premier of The End of Al Capone.

 Building on a 25-year relationship with the SITI Company, William was granted production rights to produce and direct their play Small Lives/Big Dreams. The project includes productions of the original text as well as William’s French translation: Petites Vies/Grands Rêves.