Behind the Scenes
Personal Profile
Filmmaker, director, writer, actor, educator, community organizer, flutist--suffice it to say Mars has worn many hats in their time (including the one pictured to the right)! But above all their background consists of a deep and enduring love of art and its power to connect humanity and inspire empathy. Whether leading a classroom or crafting a one-of-a-kind multimedia experience, his dedication to the (inter)activity essential to creativity shines through in every project.
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Scroll down for a selection of highlights from the creative, professional, and academic life of Mars and click below to request a more comprehensive C.V. Additional project media and more in-depth descriptions can be found on the portfolio page.
Film Highlights
Winter 2024
Channel Cushman
An experimental video commission on behalf of the UPenn Feminist, Queer, & Trans Research Center. Drawing on spectral photography, documentary, and poetic history, the work resurfaces the history of Victorian American actor and genderqueer international celebrity Charlotte Cushman.
Spring 2023
The Fool's Journey
Originally designed as a two-channel installation experience of 'cinepic poetry', the work brings together documentary-style footage, performance art, original poetry, and experimental audio-visuals to reconstitute the classic hero's journey for the marginalized subject. Winner of the 2023 Dick Wolf Cinema and Media Studies Best Honors Thesis Award.
Winter 2021
Trading Faces
An experimental documentary that pulls back the curtain on the premiere staging of "Opus Siniestrus", a feminist surrealist play by Leonora Carrington. Created by the play's Co-Director Mars Berger, following the avant-garde production process, interviewing key members of the creative team reveals the show's enduring legacy in the turbulent times of plague, reactionary politics, and climate crisis.
Winter 2024
Maybe One Day We Won't Need Queer Bookstores
An intimate documentary portrait of Giovanni's Room, the longest-running queer bookstore in the US. At once a testament to the resiliency of marginalized spaces and a look toward the future of representation. Originally commissioned by the UPenn Feminist, Queer, & Trans Research Center.
Theatrical Credits
Spring 2023
Quadramics Theater Co
Music Director/Conductor - Chicago
Student production of Kander & Ebb's classic musical
Spring 2022
UPenn CEE/Theatre Arts Department
Assistant Music Director - Jungle Nama
Premiere workshop production of devised musical based on Amitav Ghosh's book of the same name
Fall 2021
UPenn GSWS/ICA
Co-Director - Opus Siniestrus
Premiere workshop production of Leonora Carrington’s feminist surrealist play, staged at the ICA
Summer 2021
Front Row Theatre Co
Music Director - Imagination, Invention, & Confrontation
Devised musical using archival and cultural material to chronicle the enduring legacy of the AIDS crisis
Fall 2020
Pennsylvania Players
Director of Videography - Tuck Everlasting
Movie-musical style digital production of the musical based on the beloved children's book
Fall 2020
Front Row Theatre Co
Assistant Director - Q.U.E.E.R.
Devised digital production highlighting contemporary experiences and imaginings of LGBT youth
Winter 2020
One Acts Theater Fest
Playwright - Getting a Rise
Selected original work for UPenn student theater festival
Winter 2021
One Acts Theater Fest
Playwright - Ne(i)therworld
Selected original work for UPenn student theater festival
Arts Education Work
Spring 2024
PBS Media (WHYY)
Media Labs Education Intern
Teacher of Youth Film & Photography Workshops
Creator of Educational Video Resources for Schools
Summer 2023
Portland Stage Co
Theater Education Apprentice
Student Teacher for Weekly Theater Workshops (K-12)
Administrative Theatrical Assistant
Summer 2021
Rebel Ventures
Media and Cinematography Mentor
Teaching Middle and High School Students Technical Skills for Local Non-Profit
Via the Netter Center for Community Partnerships
Winter 2024
Arden Theatre Co
Dr. Mindy Goldberg Education Intern
Assistance with Administrative and Classroom Management for Youth Theater Education Workshops
Education
2019-2023
University of Pennsylvania
Summa Cum Laude, Benjamin Franklin Scholar
B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, 3.99 GPA
Minors in French and Creative Writing
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2015-2019
Lower Moreland High School
Distinguished Honor Roll
National Honors Society
Weighted GPA: 5.52