“ Extraordinary. Intelligent. Patient. Understanding. A Leader.”
Rachael is a Milwaukee based actor, director, vocal coach and educator. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Coordinator of Musical Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. During the summer she serves on the acclaimed Acting Faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp in beautiful northwest Michigan.
In addition to Rachael’s passion for teaching, she prides herself on staying active in the professional industry. She is a proud union member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Some of her recent Regional performance credits include: The 39 Steps (Annabella/Pamela/Margaret), The Sound of Music (Mother Abbess), and Romeo and Juliet (Nurse). Recent on-camera credits include work with the Travel Channel, ID, Oxygen and TV One.
She has worked extensively in Theatre for Young Audiences performing and directing across the US and Canada and completed a tour of service with Americorps bringing theatre to young people in need. She is committed to investing in the lives of the next generation of young artists and feels strongly that all students should have the opportunity to take part of the arts. She previously served as Education Director at Maples Repertory Theatre and The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Education Associate at Greenbrier Valley Theatre and Director of Theatre Arts Camps at The Lost Colony.
She believes in and is passionate about collaborating and growing which is one of the reasons she is an active member of organizations like Musical Theatre Educators’ Alliance and Voice and Speech Trainers Association. She is Certified in Lessac BodyVoice Training and an ISMETA-Registered Somatic Movement Educator. She additionally serves the Coordinator of the Musical Theatre Initiative for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival - Region 3.
She proudly holds a BA in Theatre with a Minor in German from Baldwin Wallace University and MFA in Theatre Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi.
“Since Rachael began working with the students at E&H, their work has markedly improved. Their level of professionalism in auditions and on stage is now commensurate with other college programs in a way it was not before. The students’ acting has grown immensely, and the shows themselves are stronger, particularly when Rachael directs them. Some of the best shows I’ve seen in the last 20 years at E&H have been under Rachael.
The students are vociferous about Rachael’s strengths as a teacher. They are enthusiastic about working with her and it is clear that they have learned a great deal from her. They are comfortable with her and feel that they have been pushed to become their best.”
“I worked closely with Rachael when we produced Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which she directed, as part of our mainstage season. I enjoyed our collaboration greatly. Rachael had a strong vision for the show, and was open to listening to the opinions of those of us on the design team. The group of us formed a solid working relationship based on respect, creativity, and a love for the arts. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again.
Rachael’s ability to work with student actors of all skill levels is astounding. I was able to observe her interactions with students in class and in rehearsal. She is professional, yet caring; exacting, yet collaborative; fun, but not a pushover; understanding but not sparing.
She earned the respect and loyalty of her students in her classes and in her productions, on both professional and personal levels. Rachael encouraged the students to get professional headshots, to participate in regional auditions, to take chances, to look for opportunities. Her enthusiasm is contagious.”
“Having a professor like Rachael Swartz to stand in your corner and help you advocate for yourself is something I do not take lightly. Her dedication to providing a constructive classroom full of worthwhile materials and projects, and the way she can accommodate students is what has helped me personally learn so much in these past few semesters. The growth I’ve been able to make under her tutelage not only in the classroom setting, but in the rehearsal space as well is just one of the many reasons she deserves every teaching award there is and will be.
Working closely with her as a TA, sitting on the other side of the desk, has helped me understand the work and passion she puts into her curriculum. Serving in her class is what gave me the push to seek out a teaching job this summer, from which I was able to recently accept an offer above anything I could have hoped for..
…She listens to her students and takes time to coach one on one in acting courses, and takes feedback in the rehearsal space with a collaborative approach which was not something I was used to before coming to Parkside.
Rachael Swartz has been an amazing addition to the UW Parkside Theatre Department, and in my last remaining year here I hope to make the most out of the fountain of knowledge and kindness she has to offer. I have gained so much beyond knowledge, I’ve gained a confidence through the encouragement she offers and a renewed passion for performance that the pandemic has affected.”
Rachael has taught students ranging from Kindergarteners to MFA Candidates. It is her mission to guide students to their maximum personal and artistic potential while providing the freedom necessary for discovery and growth. She recently accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside where she teaches Acting, Voice, Movement, and Musical Theatre and during the summer she serves on the acclaimed Acting Faculty at Interlochen Arts Camp in beautiful northwest Michigan.
She has previously served as the Education Director at Maples Repertory Theatre and at The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, the Director of Theatre Arts Camps at The Lost Colony, Director of Musical Theatre at Camp Barney Medintz, and a Tour Actor/Director with Missoula Children’s Theatre.
Rachael is additionally a dialect and vocal coach for individuals and productions. She also provides private coaching, in person and via technology, to a variety of individuals from theatre and film actors to pageant competitors.
