ELIZABETH SWANSON
Theater Director
DIRECTING CREDITS
HEAD OVER HEELS | Kokandy Productions | 2019
Conceived & Original Book by Jeff Whitty, Adapted by James Magruder, Songs by The Go-Gos
Based Upon The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney | Co-directed with Derek Van Barham | Jeff Recommended
I KNOW MY OWN HEART | Pride Films & Plays | 2019
Written by Emma Donoghue | Jeff Nominated for Performer in a Principal Role – Vahishta Vafadari (Anne Lister)
HILDEGARD: AN UNFINISHED REVOLUTION – IN DEVELOPMENT
Written by Ethan Krupp & Davyd Reddyk
Act One presented at the Chicago Fringe Festival | 2018
Reading of both acts presented at Prop Thtr | 2019
Ten-day development residency at Princeton University Lewis Center for the Arts | 2019
Live album recording at Sleeping Village | 2019
*Sponsored by a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
HARVEY | Three Brothers Theater | 2018
Written by Mary Chase
WHERE ALL THE WHITE SNEAKERS AT | Second City | 2017
A Sketch Review Written by Devin Middleton
LUNGS | Granary Theatre, Cork | 2015
Written by Duncan Macmillan
ASSISTANT DIRECTING CREDITS
FUN HOME by Lisa Kron & Jeanine Tesori | Dir. Gary Griffin | Victory Gardens Theater | 2017
LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST | Dir. Marti Maraden | Chicago Shakespeare Theater | 2017
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS TWELFTH NIGHT | Dir. Kirsten Kelly | Chicago Shakespeare Theater | 2016
SHORT SHAKESPEARE! TWELFTH NIGHT | Dir. Kirsten Kelly | Chicago Shakespeare Theater | 2016
A WORK OF ART by Elaine Romero | Dir. Henry Godinez | Chicago Dramatists | 2015
VARDO | Dir. Louise Lowe | ANU Productions | Dublin Theatre Festival | 2014
WORKSHOPS, READINGS & FESTIVALS
THE BONE HARP by Laura Stratford and Heidi Joosten | Workshop Production | Underscore Theatre | 2020
THREE by Celeste Burns | arciTEXT 19: Forbidden Fruit | Arc Theatre | 2019
TINY THIN WOMAN INSIDE by Courtney Meaker | Babes on Stage Festival | About Face Theatre | 2018
TRUMP RALLY by Sean Pollock | Documentary Play Festival | Waltzing Mechanics | 2018
WHO ARE YOU? by Lena Wilson | History Lezons Festival | Pride Films & Plays | 2018
THE THANKSGIVING CIRCUMCISION by Ethan Krupp & Davyd Reddyk | 2017
I, HUMAN by E.M. Lewis | Paragon Festival | Otherworld Theatre | 2017
JARRED by Eileen Campbell | Artemisia Fall Festival | 2017
ONE DAY AT A TIME by Noelle Hedges-Goettl | Chicago Theatre Marathon | 2017
REMAINDERS by Eileen Tull | Jadesmash: A Ferocious Staged Reading Series | The Jades | 2017
SCORCH by Stacey Gregg | Irish Theatre of Chicago | 2017
The Artist’s Lab | Stage 773 | 2016
Directed an ensemble and writers room to create four original sketch shows:
MURDER, THEY WROTE | STOP THE INSANITY: A LOW FAT MURDER MYSTERY
TRICK OR TRUMP | SKETCHFEST: VOLUNTEER COMEDIANS
RESTORE by Jordan Ramirez Puckett | Three Brothers Theater | Waukegan Theater Festival | 2016
KOALAS by J. Joseph Cox | Saturday Series Reading | Chicago Dramatists | 2016
JEWELER’S BUILDING by Will Fancher | Big Shoulders Festival | American Theater Company | 2015
EDUCATION
The Lir National Academy of Dramatic Arts at Trinity College, Dublin
MFA in Theatre Directing
Princeton University
BA in History with a Certificate in Theatre*
*Awarded Princeton Musical Theatre Lab Grant, Francis LeMoyne Page Award, and Outstanding Work by a Senior
EDUCATIONAL DIRECTING CREDITS
ELECTRA | The Lir | Thesis Production | 2014
Written by Nick Payne based on Sophocles
Steubenville | The Lir | Director & Designer New Play Festival | 2014
Written by Margaret Miller
The Picasso | The Lir | Short Play with music | 2013
Self written & choreographed
Forest | The Lir | Short play | 2013
Devised with Jed Murray
Merrily We Roll Along | Princeton University Players | 2012
Book by George Furth and lyrics & music by Stephen Sondheim
Eden | Lewis Center for the Arts | Senior Thesis Production | 2011
Self written | Awarded Francis LeMoyne Page Theater Award, Outstanding Theatre Work by a Senior, and Princeton Musical Theatre Lab Grant
Henry IV, Part I | Princeton Shakespeare Company | 2010
Written by William Shakespeare
Blind Date | Theatre Intime | One-Act Festival | 2009
Written by Bradley Barron