RÉSUMÉ HIGHLIGHTS
AUTHOR AND PERFORMER OF TWO WORKS OF SOLO THEATER
Jews, God, and History (Not Necessarily in That Order)
Produced May-June 2022, The Siggy Theater at The Flea, New York City
Directed by Tony Nominee Brian Lane Green
"Writer and performer Michael Takiff melds his prodigious intelligence and expert showmanship to illuminate the darkest (and most tender) moments in the life and mind of the modern American Jew…. Takiff’s brilliant one-man show answers the question What is a Jew? in an entirely new, but deeply ancient, way."
Black Tie: A Son’s Journey through the Death and Life of His Father
Directed by Tony Nominee Brian Lane Green
"Michael Takiff has a story to tell: a father, a son, a family; a country in depression, war, and peace. It's his story, yet it's everyone's story—coming to terms with loss as we find our way forward in life. He imbues small moments with humor and significance, and all we can do is watch, riveted in our seats."
- Jimmy Roberts, Composer of Off Broadway's long-running I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
FILM/VIDEO
FEATURES
Beach Town Maidens William Dmitriy Rozin, dir.
Gone Without a Past Saul Julia Gorden, dir.
Tropos Frowe Peter Coutavas, dir.
The Rabbit Hole (upcoming) Horus Sam Jonas, dir.
WEB SERIES
Unwanted Houseguest The Conductor Ben Huff, dir.
SHORTS
Bygone Spring Mike Soo Oh Bang, dir.
Lanternfly News Anchor Deven Nicotero, dir.
SIdebar Guapo Ivo Duwin, dir.
The Right Man Prison Warden Sam Ellis, dir.
THEATER
The Trial of Adolf Eichmann (upcoming) Eichmann David Serero, Prod./Dir.
Impressions of the Alhambra (upcoming) Washington Irving Mosaic Dance Theater Company
Julius Caesar Caesar Shakespeare Workshoppe
Goldberg’s Kaddish Papa NY Theater Festival
Coriolanus Junius Brutus Worlds Elsewhere Theater Company
STAND-UP COMEDY
Ten years professional experience. Based at The Comic Strip, NYC; toured throughout the US.
EDUCATION
Yale University, B.A., cum laude with distinction in History.
OTHER TRAINING AND SKILLS
Singing voice: Baritone, specializing in classical art songs and dramatic pop/show tunes. Dance: Jazz and ballroom. Voiceovers. Accents (Russian, French, German, British, Yiddish). Jewish prayers. Love dogs.
PUBLISHED BOOK AUTHOR
A Complicated Man: The Life of Bill Clinton as Told by Those Who Know Him
(Yale University Press)
The Bill Clinton story, told in oral-history format, by 169 people who grew up with, worked
with, worked against, prosecuted, defended, reported on America’s forty-second president.
* “An outstanding accomplishment . . . . A historic contribution to the biographical record which will stand for generations.”
- Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of a Nation
* “The best oral history book ever written about a President of the United States
- And Magazine
* First Prize, Biography and Autobiography, Los Angeles Book Festival
Brave Men, Gentle Heroes: American Fathers and Sons in World War II and Vietnam
(HarperCollins/William Morrow).
The first book to offer side-by-side, in-depth comparison of World War II and Vietnam, each the defining experience of a generation.
* A “Critic’s Pick.”
- Washington Post
* “Oral history at its best, with an edge and a hook."
- Joe Galloway, co-author of We Were Soldiers Once...and Young
* "A superb oral history [that] would do Studs Terkel proud.”
- Kirkus (starred review)
* "A major contribution to the history of these two distinct and influential wars."
- Library Journal
The Vietnam War
(The History Channel)
A survey history sold as a companion piece with History Channel videos.
OP-ED WRITER
Published pieces on politics and baseball in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, Washington Post, Salon, The Nation, CNN.com, and Huffington Post.
TELEVISION
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MSNBC: “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and “Daily Rundown.”
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Fox News Channel: “Fox & Friends.”
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C-SPAN: “Book TV” for both Brave Men and A Complicated Man.
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Local TV in multiple US markets.
OTHER WRITING EXPERIENCE
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Extensive work as ghostwriter/collaborator/editor.
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Editorial consultant to NBC Publishing on a series of political e-books.
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Author of chapters in high school history textbooks.
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Teacher of memoir writing.