Chicago, IL · Actor / Singer / Dancer
Brenden
Zwiebel
Five years on Chicago stages, from Shakespeare and Kushner to new musicals, with a Jeff Award along the way.
6′0″ | He / Him | Baritone | Jeff Award Winner
NEWSIES
✦
LYSISTRATA
✦
DUCK SOUP
✦
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
✦
ORPHAN TRAIN
✦
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
✦
ANNIE
✦
ANGELS IN AMERICA
✦
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
✦
SISTER ACT
✦
EMMA
✦
THE NORMAL HEART
✦
NEWSIES ✦ LYSISTRATA ✦ DUCK SOUP ✦ PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE ✦ ORPHAN TRAIN ✦ THE COMEDY OF ERRORS ✦ ANNIE ✦ ANGELS IN AMERICA ✦ A CHRISTMAS CAROL ✦ SISTER ACT ✦ EMMA ✦ THE NORMAL HEART ✦
Serious about
the work.
Easy in the room.
I'm a Chicago-based actor, singer and dancer, five years into a career that has taken me from Shakespeare in the round to a Jeff Award-winning ensemble to musicals with a full orchestra in the pit.
I trained at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (BA Theatre, minor in Dance) and have kept training since: Meisner with Kathy Scambiaterra at Artistic Home, Chekhov, Kushner, Williams and Shepard scene study at Invictus Theatre, camera work at Acting Studio Chicago, and improv at the Annoyance.
Directors tend to say the same few things: fast, generous, easy to work with. Comedy is where I'm most at home, and I'll take the darker roles every time they're offered.
Angels in America
at Invictus Theatre
Understudy for Prior Walter, and part of the ensemble that took home Chicago's Jeff Award for Best Ensemble and Best Production.
Selected work
Three recent Chicago productions. Every credit is on the productions page.
Every Credit
-
Production
Role
Company
Director
-
Happy Birthday, Jack
John F. Kennedy
HGBIC Productions
Mikey Duran
-
Duck Soup
Min. of Finance (u/s)
The Conspirators
Wm. Bullion
-
Angels in America ✦
Prior Walter (u/s)
Invictus Theatre
Kevin Rolfs
-
The Normal Heart
Craig / Grady (u/s)
Redtwist Theatre
Ted Hoerl
-
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Levi
Big Noise Theatre
Tuesdai B Perry
-
A Christmas Carol
Vendor / Ensemble
Metropolis PAC
Robin Hughes
-
Sister Act
Ernie
Metropolis PAC
Sade May
-
Emma
Mr. Knightley (u/s)
First Folio
Rachel Lambert
-
A Christmas Carol
Jacob Marley
Metropolis PAC
Erik Wagner
-
Grey
Drew
Beverly Arts Center
Jess Fiene
-
Orphan Train
Reporter
Miriam Drake Theatre
Patricia Birch
-
Newsies
Snyder
Crane River Theatre
Rob McKercher
-
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Schmendiman
Crane River Theatre
Becky Boesen
-
The Comedy of Errors
Dromio of Syracuse
Miriam Drake Theatre
Janice Fronczak
-
Annie
Jimmy Johnson
Crane River Theatre
Steve Barth
-
Lysistrata
Socrates
Miriam Drake Theatre
Mikayla Fulk
-
Description goes here
Special skills
All of these have been used in a production at some point.
Movement & music
Tae-Kwon-Do (black belt)
Roller-skating
Ballet
Modern
Jazz
Tap
Baritone
Ukulele
Guitar
Voice, comedy & craft
British accent
Southern accent
Boston accent
Commercial improv
Long-form improv
Carpentry
Video editing
Training & education
University of Nebraska-Kearney
BA in Theatre, minor in Dance
Acting
Kathy Scambiaterra (Artistic Home: Meisner Tech 1, 2, & 3) · Invictus Theatre: Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Sam Shepard & Tony Kushner scene study · Charles Andrew Gardner & Adrianne Cury (Acting Studio Chicago: camera and scene study)
Voice & speech
Andrew White & Michael Brauer (musical theatre)
Dance
Noelle Bohaty (modern, jazz, tap) · Leslie Abegglen (ballet & jazz)
Dramaturgy & directing
Jack Garrison
Improv
Jillian Mueller (Annoyance Theatre)
Recent reviews
-
As President John F. Kennedy, Zwiebel convincingly portrays the swagger, charm, and composure of the 35th president. The play's exploration of Jack's relationship with his overbearing father offers some insight into the forces that shaped him, but it never quite inspires sympathy. It is especially true in the way Jack treats Jackie and Marilyn, whose experiences ultimately make his character more difficult to excuse than to understand.
— Paul Lisnek
-
Brenden Zwiebel gives a measured, thoughtful performance as JFK, exhibiting appealing humanity beneath the presidential polish and adjacent to a cheating husband. Zwiebel is especially effective showing some vulnerability JFK may or may not have had in his character.
— Werner Theatre Reviews
Let's put me
in something.
Auditions, readings, self-tapes or a coffee: all welcome. I answer everything.
Rather not use a form? brendenzwiebel@gmail.com or (520) 403-1611