St. Edward's University Announces New Artistic Director of Mary Moody Northen Theatre

Austin, TX — St. Edward's University announces the appointment of David Long as the university's new artistic director of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre. Long first came to the university in 2005 and serves as an actor, director and assistant professor of Theater Arts at St. Edward's. Long's expertise centers on actor training and directing with a focus on physical approaches to performance. Long will open the 2008-2009 MMNT season as director of Cloud 9 which will run Sept. 25–Oct. 5.

A Los Angeles native, Long has lived and worked throughout the U.S. and in Japan. Before his appointment at St. Edward's, Long taught at Winthrop University in South Carolina and Portland State University in Oregon, and was a guest artist at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Long continues to conduct workshops throughout the country in the area of physical performance techniques and theater creation.

"I'm very excited to assume the responsibilities as Artistic Director," said Long. "MMNT has a rich history of theatre excellence and I look forward to continuing that tradition."

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from California State University–Fullerton, in 1991 and received an MFA from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program in 1998. 

Long has been the recipient of many accolades throughout his career. In summer 2006, he received a Presidential Excellence Grant from St. Edward's to study at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake, Calif., with master teacher Daniel Stein. While he was there, he created a solo piece entitled, "Epistemology."

He is an active member in Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actor's Guild, and has worked professionally in theater, musical theater, film, television, commercials, print and voice over. Long can also be heard as Fred on the original cast recording of David A. Austin's A Christmas Carol.

Long's directorial credits at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre include Antigone, MacBeth and Chuck Mee's Full Circle, awarded Best Comedy in 2007 at the Austin Critic Table Awards. His recent acting credits include Leo Frank in the MMNT Fall 2006 award-winning musical production of Parade and Cyrano in Tent Theatre's 2008 production of Cyrano in Springfield, Mo.

Long lives in Austin with his wife Tracy and daughters Amelia and Alura.

Founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward's University has been named as one of America's Best Colleges for 2008 by U.S. News & World Report and was selected by The Princeton Review for inclusion in the guide Colleges with a Conscience. St. Edward's is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university of more than 5,300 students located in Austin, Texas.

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