The Obligatory Third-person Bio
Find out more at my website, jillkswanson.blogspot.com!
Jill K. Swanson is an actor, director, writer, and teacher who has worked in Austin theatre for the past 15 years, including a longstanding relationship with Austin Shakespeare. Most recently, she played Maria in Twelfth Night, Bollywood Style in the annual Zilker park show. She was the assistant director for The Dream in 2010 (as she was the year before with Romeo y Julieta), and the dramaturg for Measure for Measure in 2009. Past performances with Austin Shakespeare include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Desdemona in Othello, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Portia in Julius Caesar, and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew.
Jill was the assistant director and dramaturg for Black Swan's Hamlet in 2010 starring Justin Scalise. She played Phebe in As You Like It (2009) and Maria in Twelfth Night (2008) at the Scottish Rite Theatre. The Blue Theatre produced Shakespeare's Husbands and Wives, a study of marriage with scenes and monologues from the canon, which Jill developed and directed (2010).
Other notable local performances include Lady in The Incubus Archives, and Vernon Lee in Ann Ciccollela's Madame X.
She is a contributor and co-editor of111 Shakespeare Monologues and 60 Shakespeare Scenes, and is currently assisting Austin Shakespeare as needed.
Ms. Swanson studied Shakespeare at Florida State University with Jean McDaniel-Lickson, directing with Charles Olsen, and acting with Michael Richey, Fred Chappell, and Richard G. Fallon; at Texas State University she studied directing with Dr. Charles Ney and Michael Costello.
2010 Applause Award Winner for Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew; 2002 Best Supporting Actress, Austin Critic's Table, for Vernon Lee in Ann Ciccollela's Madame X; nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress, 2000 B. Iden Payne Awards, for Desdemona in Othello.
