John Freed’s Dramatic Bio

John Freed’s Dramatic Bio

Pennsylvania native, the high point of John Freed’s acting career occurred there at age seventeen playing the lead in “Kiss me, Kate.” He received a standing ovation for his fireman’s carry of his co-star off the stage after her slap nearly knocked him out at the close of Act One. Fast forward to teaching dramatic literature especially Shakespeare at Penn State University as well as being the theater critic for the “Erie Daily Times” and the film critic for New York’s “OneWorld Magazine.”

His theatrical play-writing evolved while teaching at Chapman University and the University of Massachusetts — Global campus. During this time he wrote “Love me, Fuseli: A Play about Mary Wollstonecraft and her Circle of Friends,” “Figaro’s Follies” — a new adaptation of Beaumarchais’ Figaro plays, “Portia Unbound” and “Shylock’s Merchant of Venice: A Comedy.” He also co-produced August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” for the EastBay Players. These works are showcased on his YouTube Channel — www.youtube.com/channel/UCmmINYjLF0vCJpt0SrTGvyw .

Following its Bay-area, festival premiere in July 2017, he revised the book and lyrics for his and Jeff Dunn’s musical entitled “Castle Happy: Unexpected Love Stories” about William Randolph Hearst and his life-long mistress Marion Davies set in 1938. Here’s the link to the video recording of that original production — https://youtu.be/v6yB7WufKO8 .

John is a full member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the managing producer of the Triad Showcase Community Theatre. Also, for the last few years he has been a new play contest judge for the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT) and Texas Nonprofit Theatres (TNT).

Along with his wife, Stacy Alexander, a mixed-media artist and organizational psychologist, he resides in Portland, Oregon.

Contacts:

Email — j.e.freed.playwright@gmail.com

Cell — 503–915–4830