Dr. Melanie Beddie is a graduate of Sydney University and the VCA (Victorian College of the Arts) where she trained as an actor. She is an expert actor trainer, dramaturg and theatre director including artistic direction. She was a co-founder of the $5 Theatre Co. and artistic director of the independent theatre company The BRANCH. She has a PhD from La Trobe University. This doctoral research investigates lineages in Australian Actor Training. From 2010-2016 Melanie was Lecturer in Acting at VCA School of Theatre. She has also taught extensively including at the national Theatre School and WAAPA. She is currently the lecturer in Acting at Arts Academy, Federation University.

Melanie has directed many productions with a focus on new Australian writing.. She was the resident dramaturg at the MTC from 1998-2000. In 2002 she co-founded the Dramaturgies forum which drew together the practice and the theory of dramaturgy. In 2004 she received the Dramaturgy Fellowship from the Australia Council. She received a Gloria Fellowship from NIDA in 2009.

Her areas of research include contemporary actor training, cultural and gender diversity within the Australian theatre, dramaturgy for new writing.

http://www.melaniebeddie.com