Originally from the Northwest, he co-founded Seattle’s acclaimed Printer’s Devil Theatre where he served as co-Artistic Director for five years. In addition to Printer’s Devil, Willis’ has worked at The Seattle Rep, A Contemporary Theatre, Annex, Empty Space, CTG|Mark Taper Forum, and The Public. Other theatrical directing credits include world premiere productions of HURRICANE by Erin Cressida Wilson, HORRIBLE CHILD by Lawrence Krauser, THE SCANDAL by Kristen Kosmas, and THE GAS MAN by Herbert Bergel. Willis has also directed productions of FREE WILL AND WANTON LUST by Nicky Silver, MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS by Caryl Churchill, and workshop productions of plays by Erin Cressida Wilson, Chay Yew, Annie Weisman, Heidi Schreck, and Kristen Palmer, among others. Additional credits include WEDNESDAY, HANK, a short documentary about the Honky Tonk Revue with co-director Kristin Newbom, and the short rock opera film THE GAS MAN composed by Herbert Bergel and a feature film adaptation of HEDDA GABLER currently distributed by AliveMindMedia. Other film credits include producing the feature film adaptation of HORRIBLE CHILD written and directed by Lawrence Krauser (LEMON, McSweeney’s Press) and designed by painter Larissa Tokmakova, and creating and editing the video projections and animations for MORT, a performance piece about composer Mort Feldman created by direcor Kip Fagan and poet Niko Vassilakis. In 2002, Willis’ was honored to be one of 16 directors from the Northwest selected for a master directors workshop with Peter Brook. He has served on grant panels for King County Council of the Arts, Brooklyn Arts Council, Northwest Film Forum, and has conducted interviews for the Lincoln Center Jazz Academy and for articles in the Brooklyn Rail.
Paul most recently directed Sheila Callaghan’s CRAWL, FADE TO WHITE for 13p in NYC. Other recent NYC credits include ONE THING I LIKE TO SAY IS by Amy Fox for Clubbed Thumb, Aaron Landsman’s OPEN HOUSE with The Foundry (actor), Kristen Kosmas’s CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS with CSC as well as multiple workshops with SohoRep’s Writer/Director Lab, Culture Project, St. Ann’s Puppet Lab, and The New Group. Paul is currently developing Nancy Nyman and Heather McNama’s TAFFETA for television and prepping Sheila Callaghan’s LACIVIOUS SOMETHING for its debut production with Circle X Theatre at the Ford Theatre in Los Angeles, March 2010.