Marcel W. Foster grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and attend the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater's BFA Actor Training Program, and was the first student to graduate with a double Major (BA in Anthropology, Summa cum laude with High Distinction). As a performer/collaborator he worked with The Guthrie Theater, Pig Iron Theatre, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Applied Mechanics, and Carbon Dance Theatre.
As an Anthropologist he assisted Professor Jean Langford with research on perceptions of the body and environment among Hmong immigrants in Minneapolis/St. Paul. This project led him to work with Tanzanias locally founded non-governmental organization, Envirocare, for which he collaborated with the Simba Theatre International dance ensemble to dialogue with over 50 residents in the densely populated and low-wealth region of Dar es Salaam--Mwananyamala. These conversations were then constructed into several interactive plays (cheza ngoma) that addressed health awareness and sustainable waste disposal, and were performed along the streets of Mwananyamala over the course of two months. While in Tanzania, Foster continued his research with the Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies, and conducted independent research in Gombe National Park on chimpanzee performative displays.
Now based in Philadelphia, Foster moved to the city to study with the Headlong Performance Institute and currently works as Mascher Space Cooperative's Community Engagement Coordinator and manages research and coworking for CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia. He is thrilled to be part of the incredible dance-theater community of Philly, and presented several new works including Simians and Cyborgs, The Jane Goodall: Experience (with Hyphen-Nation Arts), and Sonso, Simians and Pierrot. His research and performance projects received support from the Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Dance/USA Philadelphia & MetLife Foundation, and the National Endowment of the Arts. Up next he is drafting an article for a performance studies journal on chimpanzee displays, and collaborating with his favorite artists in town on a piece that takes a closer look at Darwinian theory, primate behavior, and Wall Street culture. He credits Donna Haraway, Katherine Dunham, and Werner Heisenberg as his biggest influences.
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