ABOUT ETC

Paul Lockwood ... Artistic Director
A native of the Chicago area, Paul began acting in musicals such as Kiss Me, Kate (Lucentio), The Boy Friend (Bobby) and Under Papa’s Picture (Fabrizio). He then moved to New York City, where he worked as a writer, actor, and singer for 19 years. He attended the Actor’s Conservatory under the instruction of Eileen Akin and Lily Lodge. During that time he appeared in scores of Off-Off Broadway productions and originated the roles of Hector in Goliath in Love (Wings Theatre) and the ex-convict-turned hustler in Ten Naked Men (New York Playhouse).

Paul was also active in educational outreach theatre and was an early member of the AIDS Theatre Project, an award-winning troupe that wrote and performed works dealing with HIV and AIDS education and prevention. He co-authored and performed on Broadway in their celebrated production, Moment to Moment. Other companies he was actively involved with included Ten-to-One Productions, Theatre of the Elephant and his own Ice Theatre. In film, Paul appeared in a number of independent productions including Stephen Frears’ Hero (with Dustin Hoffman) and Jim Fall’s Trick, now a gay film classic.

Paul also studied voice for eight years and worked as a back-up and session singer for many years in New York. Among others, he has performed and/or recorded with Taka Boom, Sharon Redd, Ryo Kawasaki, Camilla Benson, Frank Grimaldi, The City Singers, Fall Out, and was half of the 80s dance duo MadStuff. His 2000 solo release, Positive, raised money for AIDS organizations and garnered a #1 single on the GLBT national charts.

While in Pittsburgh, Paul performed with Gemini Theater (as Sterling in Jeffrey) and VV Theatre (Fran in Gemini and Lew Bagatelle in Night Life) and directed for his own Pushpin Productions (The Reindeer Monologues). In Columbus, Paul founded Evolution Theatre Company in January 2008 and directed ETC’s premiere production, Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp.

As a writer, Paul has authored a novel (A Hill Without Reason), film scripts (On High, The State of a Union, Soul Searchers), stage plays (Running From Paramus, hungry/angry/lonely/tired), sit-com pilots and episodes (Hell’s Kitchen, Second Chance) as well as many short stories.

Paul has a B.A in Journalism/Communications from the University of St. Francis, an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Theatre at OSU. Like most of the guys from The Sopranos, he is a member of the Guild of Italian-American Actors (GIAA).

Drew Eberly ... Associate Artistic Director
Originally from Dayton, Drew earned his BA at UD double majoring in Theatre and English and was an Irene Ryan Acting nominee at the American College Theatre Festival.

Drew then accepted the Irene Ryan Acting Fellowship at the acclaimed Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, where he toured Shakespeare, taught acting classes, and performed in The Sunshine Boys and Singin’ in the Rain. Drew went on to teach and act with many companies throughout Philadelphia. Some highlights include an international production of Great Expectations (Walnut Street Theatre), Baby (Westmont Theatre Company), It’s Called the Sugar Plum (Philly Fringe Festival), and a national tour of Adventures of Tom Sawyer (AFT).

Drew moved to Columbus to earn his Masters Degree in Language Arts Education at OSU. He taught American Literature at Bishop Watterson High School and directed various shows including Harvey, The Guys, and, The Pajama Game. He has also worked as a theatre educator with The Phoenix Theatre Circle and Columbus School for Girls.

In Columbus, Drew has enjoyed performing in Love’s Labours Lost, Taming of the Shrew, and Tartuffe with Actors’ Theatre and has been featured in shows at Available Light Theatre and Bread and Circus Theatre Company. Drew performed in ETC’s premiere production of Stone Cold Dead Serious and directed The Hopper Collection. Also a singer/songwriter, Drew can be found doing solo shows at various venues/bars around town.

Mark Phillips Schwamberger ... Development Director
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mark began his theatrical career during his undergraduate studies at the University of Louisville. He earned his BA with a major in theatre from The Ohio State University.

After working in Summer Stock at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan, Mark moved to New York City. While in New York, he worked on shows such as Let My People Come and The Charles Pierce Show at the famed Village Gate and with Christopher and Amana Plummer at Town Hall and The Me Nobody Knows at The Cherry Lane. In addition to taking many acting, voice and dance lessons, he performed in shows at the Thirteenth Street Theatre and other Off – Off Broadway venues as well as producing and directing cabaret shows at The Top of the Gate.

During his corporate career working for Bank One/Chase, SunTrust Corp. and Metavante, in the information technology, business development and marketing fields, he continued to pursue his interest in theatre. In addition to working and performing in New York and Michigan, he has also been in various musicals and plays in Florida and Ohio. Since leaving the corporate world, Mark has been able to focus fulltime on his theatrical interests. He originated the role of Major Vadim in the play White Russian as well as Morton Silkline in the movie The Funeral and Henry Krueger in the movie Oni.

In his role as Development Director, Mark looks forward to assisting in Evolution Theatre Company’s commitment to present professional productions of the highest quality to Columbus audiences.

Production History:

January 2008
Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp
Directed by Paul Lockwood
Cast: Drew Eberly, Gail Griffith, Mary Henrich, Bob Maines, Mick Pennington, & Leslie Thompson

April 2008
The Hopper Collection by Mat Smart
Directed by Drew Eberly
Cast: Billy Earnhart, Ellen Knolls, Megan Lynch, & Dan Welsh

...