Rate My Professor Bill Watson

Bill Watson serves as Professor of Acting, Co-Chair of the Department of Theatre, and Co-Area Head of Acting in the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Speech (BSS) from Northwestern University. Before taking the helm of UWM's BFA Acting Program, Watson instructed in movement, acting, and directing at the Universities of Texas, Idaho, and Montana. His teaching portfolio at UWM includes courses in Acting, Directing, Alexander Technique, Mask Performance, and Clowning.

A seasoned professional actor and director, Watson has an extensive performance resume with prestigious ensembles such as the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare and Company, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, The Empty Space, Milwaukee's Chamber Theatre, First Stage, The Montana Repertory Theatre, and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Beyond academia, he co-founded Feast of Crispian, a nonprofit theatre organization dedicated to using acting methodologies and Shakespearean texts for therapeutic purposes with trauma survivors, with a particular focus on American service veterans. This initiative partners with the Milwaukee VA Hospital and the American Lake VA Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, staging Shakespeare plays performed by veterans and creating original productions that blend veterans' personal narratives with Shakespearean elements and original music. In 2019, Feast of Crispian organized the inaugural First National Veterans Theatre Festival in collaboration with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Watson has further enriched his practice through collaborations and studies with renowned international physical theatre artists Bob Berky and Avner Eisenberg.