Biography

Matt Schwader moved to Kansas City, MO in January of 2016, having previously lived and worked as a professional actor, voice over talent, director, teacher and acting coach in Chicago, IL sincce 1998. He currently is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and the Director of Performance Studies at Avila University in Kansas City, MO and a company member with Kansas City Actors Theatre.
Matt has performed professionally on stages across the country since 1998. He was a Core Acting Company member with American Players Theatre from 2007-2013, where he played many of his favorite roles and learned from some of the very best in the business. He recently returned to his home in Kansas City after playing the role of Jack in The Old Globe Theatre's production of The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Maria Aitken in San Diego, CA. Matt appeared as Will in Shakespeare in Love with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2019 and Little John in New Theatre's production of Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood the following winter. Currently he can be heard as John Bickerson in The Bickersons and has a recurring role as Vincent Holiday in Kansas City 1924 both for Kansas City Actors Radio Theatre, airing Fridays at noon on KKFI 90.1 FM, Kansas City.
He holds an MFA from the University of Delaware and is a proud member of both the Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.
Stage Credits
Importance of Being Earnest
Shakespeare in Love
And Then There Were None
Sherwood: Adventures of Robin Hood Hamlet
Notes & Letters
First Folio: 400yrs
Christmas Carol
Great Gatsby
Christmas Carol
Romeo & Juliet
A Life in the Theatre
Christmas Carol
Shakespeare’s R & J
As You Like It
Midsummer
Othello
Measure for Measure
Merry Wives
Moliere Comedies
Henry IV parts 1 & 2
Midsummer Nights Dream
Hamlet
Crime & Punishment
Henry V
Henry IV
As You Like It
All’s Well
Misalliance
Major Barbara
Of Mice & Men
Winter's Tale
Midsummer Nights Dream
Widower’s Houses
Merchant of Venice
Misalliance
Comedy of Errors
Timon of Athens
Pygmalion
The Tempest
A Life
Season’s Greetings
Titus Andronicus
Polish Joke
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
All Night Strut
King Henry V
Romeo & Juliet
Twelfth Night
Hay Fever
Jack
Will
Lombard
Little John
Laertes
Bach/Mozart
Ro./Ben./Cas.
Fred
Gatsby
Young Eb
Romeo
John
Fred
Juliet
Orlando
Demetrius
Roderigo
Claudio
Fenton
Lelie, Notary
Clarence
Lysander
Hamlet
Raskolnikov
Henry V
Prince Hal
Orlando
Bertram
Joey Percival
Bill Walker
Curly
Polixenes
Lysander
Harry Trench
Bassanio
Joey Percival
Angelo
Painter
Freddy Hill
Ferdinand
Desmond
Neville
Sat./Bass.
Jasiu
Frank
Coda
Henry V
Romeo
Sebastian
Simon Bliss
The Old Globe
Heart of America Shakespeare
Kansas City Actors Theatre
New Theatre and Restaurant
Heart of America Shakespeare
Bach Aria Soloists
Heart of America Shakespeare
A Contemporary Theatre
Indiana Repertory Theatre
Indiana Repertory Theatre
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare
The Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
Chicago Shakespeare/Royal Shakespeare Co.
Chicago Shakespeare Chicago
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
American Players Theatre
Northlight Theatre
Northlight Theatre
Court Theatre
Noble Fool Theatricals
Remy Bumppo Theatre
Marriott Theatre
Notre Dame Shakespeare
Notre Dame Shakespeare
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Utah Shakespeare Festival
Maria Aitken
Sidonie Garrett
John Rensenhouse
Richard Carrothers
Sidonie Garrett
Elizabeth S Lane
Sidonie Garrett
John Langs
Peter Amster
Priscilla Lindsay
Charles Fee
Robert Falls
William Brown
Joe Calarco
Gary Griffin
Gary Griffin
Marti Maraden
Barbara Gaines
Barbara Gaines
Brian Bedford
Barbara Gaines
Gary Griffin
John Langs
Kenneth Albers
James Bohnen
James Bohnen
Tim Ocel
John Langs
John Langs
David Frank
Kate Buckley
David Frank
William Brown
Kenneth Albers
James Bohnen
John Langs
William Brown
Kate Buckley
James Bohnen
David Frank
BJ Jones
BJ Jones
Charles Newell
Patrick Carton
David Darlow
Marc Robin
William Brown
William Brown
Aaron Posner
Paul Barnes
On Camera
Chicago PD, episode 113
Literature; Reader’s Chioce
Henry IV pt. 1 (scene)
Bartending Industrial
State Farm
Series
Industrial
Industrial
Industrial
Industrial
Co-Star
Principal
Principal
Principal
Principal
NBC/Universal
McGraw-Hill Co.,Inc.
McDougal Littell, Broadview
MothlightPictures
StateFarm
Live Industrial
Phillip Morris USA
Blue Shield of CA
Industrial
Industrial
Principal
Principal
Breakthrough Group
Breakthrough Group
Radio/Voiceover/Audio
The Bickersons
Kansas CIty 1924
Watch Dogs
Careerbuilder
Wellpoint
Salseforce CRM
Embark
Prince & The Pauper
Romeo & Juliet
Our Town
Fischer Nuts (Radio)
Sears
Cedar Fair
Radio, 1 ep.
Radio, 10 eps.
Video Game
Commercial
Internet
Internet
Internet
Industrial
Industrial
Industrial
Radio
Commercial
Radio
John Bickerson
Vincent Holiday
VO (multiple)
AVO
AVO
AVO
AVO
VO
VO
VO
VO
AVO
VO
Kansas City Actors Radio Theatre
Kansas City Actors Radio Theatre
Ubisoft
Another Country
Jellyvision
Jellyvision
Jellyvision
McDougal Littell, Broadview
McDougal Littell, Broadview
McDougal Littell, Broadview
Bam Studios
DIRECTING: Recent directing credits include TWENTY20s, WAR OF THE WORLDS, and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (Avila University) Will Eno's MIDDLETOWN and William Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (UW-Parkside) Pinter's THE LOVER (Independent Production), THE TYPOGRAPHER'S DREAM (5th Floor Productions), ROMEO & JULIET (The Crowded Tub Collective).
TEACHING/COACHING: One year as a full time guest lecturer for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Matt has taught numerous workshops for high schools across the state of Wisconsin for American Players Theatre. He has also developed and lead workshops focused on performing Shakespeare for professional actors. Matt continues to coach actors privately as well. Feel free to contact him HERE.
EDUCATION/TRAINING: Matt holds an MFA from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of DE (2003). He has studied Etiene Decroux's Modern Mime under Jewel Walker, Traditional African Dance with the Montes Namuli Dance Company in Quelimane, Mozambique, Suzuki Theatre and Movement under Steve Tague, Shakespearean Voice & Text under Susan Sweeney and Improvisation at The Second City Training Center in Chicago.
AFFILIATIONS: Matt is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

A Life in the Theatre
"John"
Goodman Theatre
photo Michael Brosilow

Hay Fever
"Simon Bliss"
Utah Shakespearean Festival
Photo Karl Hugh
w/Anne Newhall



Matt Schwader
Crime & Punishment
"Raskolnikov"
American Players Theatre
photo Carissa Dixon
A Life
"Desmond"
Northlight Theatre
photo Michael Brosilow
w/ John Mahoney