Susan Blackwell

Last updated
Susan Blackwell
Susan Blackwell.jpg
Blackwell in 2017
Born
Dayton, Ohio, US
Education
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
  • singer
Known for [title of show]
SpouseNathan Heidt
Website susanblackwell.com

Susan Blackwell is an American actress, writer, and singer, best known for playing characters based on herself in the original musicals [title of show] and Now. Here. This. She has appeared in other plays, musicals, films, and television shows including Master of None , Madam Secretary, The Blacklist , Succession , Law & Order , P.S. I Love You , After the Wedding , Yes, God, Yes , and Speech and Debate . She created and hosts her own talk show, Side by Side by Susan Blackwell on Broadway.com.

Contents

[title of show]

Blackwell is known for the one-act musical [ title of show], which played on Broadway in the 2008 Season after a successful extended Off-Broadway run at the Vineyard Theatre in 2006. [1] The musical documents its own creation by two Broadway fans, who want to enter the New York Musical Theatre Festival and struggle to complete the show in three and a half weeks, and their two actress friends. The actors are also the writers and characters of the musical. Blackwell's character, "Susan", is a quirky performer by night and corporate drone by day—what Blackwell calls a "distillation" of her true personality. [2]

Blackwell became involved in the musical's development early on through her longstanding friendships with the show's writer, Hunter Bell, and composer, Jeff Bowen (who also star in the show, as "Hunter" and "Jeff"). Blackwell had worked with the two men as part of her previous Off-Off-Broadway performing duo, the New Wondertwins. [3] At the time Bowen and Bell began work on [title of show], Blackwell had decided to abandon performing for a stable, corporate office job. "I feel really grateful to my friends for rescuing me," she said of her role in [title of show]. "They airlifted me out of very corporate ascension and plopped me down into this whole other experience." [2]

Other work

Blackwell began her professional acting career with a two-year stint in the company of Minnesota's Guthrie Theatre before moving to New York in 1995. [2] She subsequently developed a reputation as a quirky downtown theatre artist. Blackwell performed Off-Off-Broadway with Rebecca Finnegan as The New Wondertwins, a variety act whose assortment of songs, sketches, and daredevil feats included ventriloquism and making deviled eggs in their mouths. [4]

One Village Voice reviewer wrote of the duo in 1999: "Their wordless finale, orchestrated to a space-age bachelor-pad soundtrack, is a tour de force of fascination and horror: never have soy milk and deviled eggs been used to such loathsome effect." [5] In addition to [title of show]'s Off-Broadway and Broadway runs, Blackwell's more recent credits include the Off-Broadway shows Speech and Debate , Anon, Working Title, Vilna's Got a Golem, and The Heidi Chronicles .[ citation needed ]

Blackwell's television appearances include The Sopranos , Third Watch , All My Children , The Good Wife , Person of Interest , and several episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent . Her film credits include P.S. I Love You , Margin Call , Margot at the Wedding , Changing Lanes , the short Bun-Bun, and Night Int. Trailer for the feature film Ten Minutes Older. [6]

Blackwell joined [title of show] castmates Hunter Bell, Jeff Bowen, and Heidi Blickenstaff in 2012 for the off-Broadway musical Now. Here. This. for which she also co-wrote the book with Hunter Bell. [7]

In 2018, she was seen in the Encores! Off-Center production of The Civilians' Gone Missing . [8]

In 2019, Blackwell performed in a one-night-only Broadway concert performance of [title of show] to benefit The Actor's Fund. She appeared alongside the entire original cast, and the evening was directed and choreographed by Michael Berresse. [9]

In September 2019, she began co-hosting a podcast with fellow actress Laura Camien called The Spark File. [10]

Personal life

Blackwell was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. [11] She attended Bethel Local Schools. She has a B.F.A. in acting from Wright State University and an M.F.A. in acting from the University of Minnesota. [12] She is married to Nathan Heidt.[ citation needed ]

Acting credits

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1996Working TitleLaura TeichmanOff-Broadway - American Jewish Theatre [13]
1997Vilna's Got a GolemBashaOff-Broadway - American Jewish Theatre [14]
2006 [title of show] SusanOff-Broadway - Vineyard Theatre [1]
2007AnonOff-Broadway - Atlantic Theater Company [15]
Speech and Debate Teacher/ReporterOff-Broadway - Roundabout Theatre Company [16]
2008[title of show]SusanBroadway - Lyceum Theatre [1]
2010 The Kid Anne/OthersOff-Broadway - Theatre Row [17]
2012 Now. Here. This. SusanOff-Broadway - Vineyard Theatre [18]
2018 Gone Missing Encores! Off-Center [8]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998 Law & Order Gabrielle RuffinoEpisode: "Faccia a Faccia"
1999Erica CastleEpisode: "Disciple"
2000 The Sopranos TherapistEpisode: "Full Leather Jacket"
Third Watch Plainclothes Cop #2Episode: "Four Days"
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Joan RhodenEpisode: "Art"
Law & OrderLydia FernandsEpisode: "DR 1-102"
2008Judge Agnes ReismanEpisode: "Called Home"
2008-09The Battery's DownDavina Spence3 episodes
2009Law & Order: Criminal IntentAmy's AssistantEpisode: "Alpha Dog"
The Good Wife Professor JoileEpisode: "Conjugal"
2011 The Onion News Network CarolEpisode: "Exposed, Brooke Alvarez"
2013 Person of Interest Principal LawtonEpisode: "2 Pi R"
Smash Stella StewartEpisode: "The Tonys"
2014 Unforgettable Deputy Mayor KezirianEpisode: "Omega Hour"
Dangerous LiaisonsMaggie RothTV movie
2015 Master of None LucyEpisode: "Indians on TV"
2016 The Characters Todd's MomEpisode: "Lauren Lapkus"
Difficult People Game Show HostEpisode: "Kessler Epstein Foundation"
The Night Of Drug Intoxication ExpertEpisode: "Samson and Delilah"
Odd Mom Out Episode: "40 Is the New 70"
Younger AmyEpisode: "A Book Fair to Remember"
2017 The Blacklist Judge Drucker2 episodes
2018 Succession StephanieEpisode: "Sad Sack Wasp Trap"
Madam Secretary Lorraine SheridanEpisode: "Ghosts"
Ray Donovan Camila Jones2 episodes
2019 The Other Two Casting DirectorEpisode: "Pilot"
2022 Billions KristySeason 6 regular

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995The LivingSusanShort film
2002 Changing Lanes Newsroom Producer
2003Bun-BunMotherShort film
2007 Margot at the Wedding Woman on Train
P.S. I Love You Vicky
2011 Margin Call Lauren Bratberg
2014 Birdman Intermission Woman
A Most Violent Year Female Radio ReporterVoice role
2015 3 Generations Real Estate Agent
2016NormanFemale Board Member
The Comedian Arlene
2017 The Post Dinner Wife
2019 After the Wedding Gwen
Yes, God, Yes Gina
AuggieAnne
2020Before/During/AfterErin

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Skethway, Nathan (July 17, 2020). "Look Back at [title of show] on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Feldman, Adam (July 17, 2008). "[quirky downtown theater actor]". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  3. ↑ Murrin, Tom. "Stagenotes: Five from Broadway to Way-Off Broadway", September 2005. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  4. ↑ Eisgrau, Robin (April 14, 2001). "Trick or treat". OFFOFFOFF Theater. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  5. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (June 8, 1999). "SparkleFEST 2000". The Village Voice. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Playbill Biography: SUSAN BLACKWELL". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 24, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ Isherwood, Charles (2012-03-28). "'Now. Here. This.,' at the Vineyard Theater". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  8. 1 2 Soloski, Alexis (2018-07-12). "Review: 'Gone Missing,' Now a Poignant Reminder of a Life Cut Short". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  9. ↑ Araujo, Roberto (2019-03-18). "Watch: [title of show] Reunion Concert Highlights". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-04-13.
  10. ↑ "The Spark File". The Spark File. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  11. ↑ Hernandez, Ernio (October 10, 2007). "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Susan Blackwell". Playbill. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  12. ↑ title of show: The Players, titleofshow.com. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Susan Blackwell Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  14. ↑ Brantley, Ben (January 25, 1997). "The Dark Rage of Jews Puts on a Happy Face". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Federer, Blackwell, Etc. Set for Atlantic Theater's 'Anon'". BroadwayWorld. January 17, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  16. ↑ "'Speech & Debate' with Blackwell, Glick Opens 10/29". BroadwayWorld. October 4, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  17. ↑ Brantley, Ben (May 10, 2010). "Just Like Other Dads (Well, Almost)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  18. ↑ Bacalzo, Dan (28 March 2012). "Now.Here.This.". TheaterMania. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
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