Brad Mays: A Career in Independent Film and Avant-Garde Theatre

Brad Mays (born May 30, 1955) is a versatile American filmmaker and writer whose body of work spans over five decades. From the experimental stages of Los Angeles to hard-hitting social documentaries in New Jersey, Mays has cultivated a reputation for artistic audacity and a deep commitment to exploring the human condition through both lens and live performance.

Key Facts

Primary Roles: Filmmaker, writer, and theatre director.
Notable Award: Received a Telly Award in 2024 for Two Trentons: An American City Speaks.
Theatrical Success: Nominated for multiple LA Weekly Theatre Awards for productions of The Bacchae and A Clockwork Orange.
Documentary Focus: Specializes in social issues, political movements, and personal histories.
Active Years: 1970 to the present.

Cinematic Journey: From Indie Comedy to Social Commentary

Mays began his feature film career with Stage Fright (1989), a semi-autobiographical piece co-written with Stanley Keyes. The film, which examines the struggles of a 1960s theatre company, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. This early project served as a springboard, leading to a role as a segment director for Howard Stern's first Pay-Per-View special, Howard Stern's Negligee and Underpants Party.

Sara (Nina Rutledge) and Zip (Willie Brookes) in Brad Mays' independent feature film production of Stage Fright, 1989

In the 2000s, Mays expanded his range into romantic comedy and specialized documentaries. His 2008 film The Watermelon, described as a "Fairy Tale for grown-ups," earned significant industry buzz at the San Diego Film Festival and later received a 2010 California Film Awards "Diamond Award." During this period, he also explored the world of classical music in SING*ularity (2008), a documentary focusing on the OperaWorks training program in Southern California.

Mays' later work shifted toward more poignant, sociopolitical themes. I Grew Up in Princeton (2013) serves as a personal coming-of-age story, utilizing interviews with over 60 individuals to examine racial and economic divisions in his hometown during the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was followed by Road Rage (2016), a "bleak little comedy" that processed the loss of his wife, Lorenda Starfelt, and the death of lead actor Adam Roth.

His most critically acclaimed recent work is Two Trentons: An American City Speaks (2019). This documentary provides a raw look at the city of Trenton, New Jersey, contrasting its image of urban decay with efforts in art, education, and prison reform. The film won "Best Director of a Feature Documentary" at the 2022 Global Nonviolent Film Festival and a Telly Award in 2024.

Richard Werner as Dionysus in Brad Mays' independent feature film production of Euripides' The Bacchae, 2000

Avant-Garde Stage Productions

Parallel to his film career, Mays has made significant contributions to the theatre. In Los Angeles, his adaptation of Euripides' The Bacchae (1997) was noted for its aggressive violence, nudity, and directorial audacity, earning three LA Weekly Theatre Award nominations.

Ramona Reeves and Lynn Odell in Brad Mays' stage production of Euripides' The Bacchae, 1997, Los Angeles

Mays also directed a multi-media production of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange at the ARK Theatre company. The production was highly praised, with lead actress Vanessa Claire Smith winning Best Actress for her gender-bending portrayal of the protagonist, Alex. This production was later recognized by the official Anthony Burgess estate.

Vanessa Claire Smith, Sterling Wolfe, Michael Holmes, and Ricky Coates in Brad Mays' multi-media stage production of A Clockwork Orange, 2003, Los Angeles (photo: Peter Zuehlke)

Earlier in his career, Mays was involved in various New York and Los Angeles productions, including The Water Hen (1983) and Joan (2003), continuing his exploration of classical and contemporary texts.

Tobias Haller, Stanley Keyes, Linda Chambers, and James Curran in Brad Mays' production of The Water Hen, by Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, 1983, New York

Rain Pryor as Joan of Arc, with Robin Skye, Zoe Trilling, and Tyrone Granderson Jones in Brad Mays' 2003 Los Angeles stage production of Joan, written by Linda Chambers

Filmography and Production Summary

Selected Works of Brad Mays
Year	Title	Genre/Type	Key Achievement
1989	Stage Fright	Feature Film	Berlin International Film Festival Premiere
2008	The Watermelon	Romantic Comedy	California Film Awards Diamond Award
2012	The Donut Shop	Comedy Short	People's Choice Award (SF Black Film Festival)
2013	I Grew Up in Princeton	Documentary	Exploration of 1960s/70s social unrest
2019	Two Trentons	Documentary	Telly Award (2024) & Best Director (GNFF)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Brad Mays' most awarded documentary?

Two Trentons: An American City Speaks is among his most decorated works, winning Best Director at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival and a Telly Award in 2024.

How did the film Road Rage relate to Mays' personal life?

The film served as an expression of Mays' grief following the death of his wife, Lorenda Starfelt, and allowed him to fulfill her dream of being an opera singer through the narrative.

Which theatrical productions earned him LA Weekly Theatre Award nominations?

Mays received nominations for his direction of Euripides' The Bacchae and Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange.

What themes are explored in I Grew Up in Princeton?

The documentary examines the role of perception in a town split by race, economics, and sociology, specifically focusing on the anti-Vietnam War student strikes and the shutdown of the Institute for Defense Analysis in 1970.

Who was Lorenda Starfelt?

Lorenda Starfelt was Mays' wife and a close artistic collaborator who produced several of his projects, including The Watermelon and I Grew Up in Princeton, before her death from uterine cancer in 2011.