Ed Swidey

Ed Swidey, new Assistant Professor of Theatre, teaches acting, improv, and musical theatre performance among other courses. Ed grew up in Massachusetts, earned his BA in Theatre from Boston College and MFA in Acting from the University of Delaware. Ed received a 2015 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, which annually honors 10 of America's best regional theatre actors, and was subsequently cast by his Lunt-Fontanne mentor, Phylicia Rashad, in her award-winning production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Mark Taper Forum).

A founding member of Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater Hothouse Resident Ensemble, Ed was part of the first U.S. collaboration with famed Greek director Theodoros Terzopoulos (Teatro Attis), and was a multiple Barrymore Award nominee. Also in Philly, Ed was an Artistic Advisory Board member with EgoPo Classic Theater, played Trigorin in EgoPo’s The Seagull (winner, 2017 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Production), and worked with playwright John Guare while playing Amos Mason in EgoPo’s Lydie Breeze Trilogy, the first-ever production of Guare’s full cycle of his master work.

From 2018-21, Ed was Acting Artist-in-Residence at Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre & Dance, teaching acting, voice, and movement courses while serving as actor-mentor to MSU students in both the world premiere of Oklahoma! In Concert, directed by MSU’s Robert Westenberg, and the film Between The Creag and the Sky, directed by MSU’s Kurt Heinlein (winner Best Acting Duo & Best Short Film, Los Angeles International Film Festival; official selection Cannes 2020-21 Indie Shorts Awards).

Ed is thrilled to be here at Snow to serve students in their exploration of the theatrical arts.