John Shepard, Actor-Director-Teacher-Author-Episode #254

Storybeat with Steve Cuden

The actor, director, teacher, and author, John Shepard, began his professional career at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival where he was a company member for 4 seasons. Subsequently moving to New York, he worked in regional theatres like The Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Barter Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and many others. Off Broadway, he performed at The Manhattan Theatre Club, Soho Rep, The Public Theatre, Lamb’s Theatre, and others. On Broadway, he worked in American Buffalo with Al Pacino, in which he also toured the U.S. and played on London’s West End, and John also appeared in A View from the Bridge.

Career highlights include the stage version of George Orwell’s 1984, in which John played Winston Smith, at the Wilma Theatre, Kennedy Center and Joyce Theatre, and the world premiere of Eduardo Machado’s Fabiola at the Theatre for a New City.

John spent time in L.A. pursuing TV and Film work, appearing in many episodic TV series including L.A. Law, Spenser: For Hire, Dallas, Quantum Leap and others. John’s feature film credits include Sneakers and Patriot Games.

After receiving an MFA in Acting from Cal State University, Long Beach, John became a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and finally at Point Park University, where he taught for over 20 years and was the Theatre Department Chair for 10 years. John’s book “Auditioning and Acting for the Camera” is used throughout the country. Backstage Magazine named it one of “11 Amazing Books for the On-Camera Actor.”

John remains active in the Pittsburgh theater and film community, appearing in many plays for The REP, City Theatre, Quantum, PICT and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. Highlights include playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman for the REP, (for which the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named him Performer of the Year), and Ralph in A Christmas Story at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre.

John has also directed numerous productions, including August Osage County for Point Park’s professional theatre company, The REP, and Tamara for Quantum; both were named best productions in their respective years by the Post-Gazette.

While in Pittsburgh, he’s appeared in TV shows like: A League of Their Own and The Chair, and in Films like The Race, Fathers and Daughters, Homemakers, and The Deliverance directed by Lee Daniels.