Dr. Harold R. Mortimer has served as Musical Theatre Coordinator for the BSU Department of Theatre and Dance for the past five years and has taught courses in voice, basic music theory, musical theatre song study, and opera/musical theatre workshop. He taught  undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Connecticut, Connecticut College, and the University of Washington and for the American Musical Drama Academy (AMDA) in New York City. His higher education degrees are from Mansfield University in PA (BMEd. in voice/instrument concentrations) and the University of Washington (MM and DMA in vocal performance). He has served as musical director and/or director for the last nine musicals at Ball State University (2008-’09: SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD [music director]; THE FULL MONTY [director]). Dr. Mortimer is currently the Department of Theatre & Dance’s Primary Departmental Advisor.

Dr. Harold R. Mortimer has performed roles in productions with the Syracuse, Oswego, Anchorage, and Tacoma Opera Companies, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Heritage Repertory Theatre, with the Northwest Opera in the Schools, Etc. (NOISE), and the Seattle Opera Guild Preview Program. His favorite musical theatre roles performed include Billy Bigelow in Carousel, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man, Billy in Anything Goes, and Curly in Oklahoma!, with regional theater performances and directing credits in the Pacific Northwest and East Coast. He has served as musical director at the Noble Fool Theatre in Chicago and most recently directed The World Goes Round for BSU Downtown Dinner Theatre. 

Dr. Mortimer is recent recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship. He traveled to South Africa, teaching and directing courses in musical theatre at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria.  There he also served as mentor director and music director for I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE! which was chosen to be sponsored by the U. S. Consulate in Pretoria to tour South Africa. Additionally, Dr. Mortimer set up an exchange program with TUT and Ball State University so that students from both schools may study musical theatre, exchange ideas, practices and grow as musical theatre artisans through international study.

In what little spare time he has, Dr. Mortimer loves spending time walking with lovely wife, Wendy (BSU Coordinator of Acting) and his incredible Great Pyrenees, Barney and Emmie.