Taylor Trensch

Last updated

Taylor Trensch
Born
Taylor Hunt Trensch

(1989-05-03) May 3, 1989 (age 35)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater Elon University
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active2008–present

Taylor Hunt Trensch (born May 3, 1989) is an American stage and film actor. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Trensch was born in Tampa, Florida. [2]

He began his education at Howard W. Blake High School where he studied theatre under Eric Davis, James Rayfield, and Jennie Eisenhower. During his senior year, Trensch was awarded a college scholarship from the Florida State Thespian Society. Trensch graduated in 2007. [3]

He was then accepted to Elon University's musical theatre program and attended for two years. [4] [5]

Career

In the summer of 2008 Trensch joined the acting company at the Lake Dillon Theatre in Silverthorne, Colorado. He performed The Rocky Horror Show , Little Shop of Horrors , Into the Woods , Cabaret , and Rabbit Hole in repertory. [6]

In 2009, during his sophomore year at Elon University, Trensch was cast as Moritz Stiefel in the first national tour of Spring Awakening . [7] [8] For his portrayal of Moritz, Trensch won the 2009 Denver Post Ovation Award for Best Supporting Actor in a National Touring Production as well as the Best Individual Performance honor from BroadwayWorld. [9]

Trensch then appeared as Dwayne Hoover in the world premiere of William Finn and James Lapine's Little Miss Sunshine at the La Jolla Playhouse Mandell Weiss Theatre in early 2011. [10]

Trensch made his Broadway debut as Boq in Wicked on January 24, 2012, temporarily replacing Etai BenShlomo. [11] The role was offered to him after auditioning for Pasek and Paul's musical Dogfight, which was also being directed by Wicked helmer Joe Mantello.

He performed in the off-Broadway revivals of Rent (as Gordon, Waiter, and others) and Bare (as Peter) at New World Stages shortly thereafter. [12] That same year, Trensch read the role of Jack in a developmental workshop for the film adaptation of Into the Woods . [13]

On April 11, 2013 he opened the Broadway transfer of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Matilda the Musical as Michael Wormwood and remained in the role through June 8. 2014. [14]

Trensch played the lead role of Christopher Boone, sharing the role with Alex Sharp, in the original Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time . It opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 5, 2014 and he continued in the role until September 12, 2015. [15] [16]

In January 2016 Trensch acted in the world premiere of Samuel D. Hunter's Clarkston at the Dallas Theatre Center. [17] Then, In July, he performed the role of Tyler Clementi in the world premiere of Craig Carnelia and Joe Tracz's Poster Boy at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. [18]

Trensch was cast as Barnaby Tucker in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! that began previews March 15, 2017 and opened on April 20 at the Shubert Theatre. [19] He left the show on January 14, 2018 along with fellow co-stars Bette Midler, David Hyde Pierce, and Beanie Feldstein. [20]

On February 6, 2018 Trensch took over the titular role in Dear Evan Hansen at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. He left the production after a year and was replaced by Andrew Barth Feldman. [21]

From November 5, 2019 until the Broadway shutdown on March 12, 2020, Trensch appeared opposite Ed Harris in To Kill a Mockingbird as Dill Harris. It was his third Broadway show at the Shubert Theatre. [22]

Trensch will next step into the role of Mordred in the Lincoln Center revival of Camelot, reuniting with Bartlett Sher and Aaron Sorkin. It opens on April 13, 2023 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre and also stars Andrew Burnap, Phillipa Soo, and Jordan Donica.

On television, Trensch has guest starred on Evil and Law & Order: SVU in addition to voicing characters for Nickelodeon's Nella the Princess Knight and Netflix's Archibald's Next Big Thing . [23] He has also played supporting roles in the independent features Things Like This and Your Monster.

Personal life

Trensch is openly gay. [4]

Theatre credits

YearTitleRoleTheatreRef.
2008 Cabaret VictorLake Dillon Theatre
[6]
The Rocky Horror Show Frank-n-Furter
Into the Woods Steward
Little Shop of Horrors Seymour
Rabbit Hole Jason
2009–10 Spring Awakening Moritz Stiefel (replacement)First U.S. National Tour
[7]
2011 Little Miss Sunshine Dwayne Hoover La Jolla Playhouse
Mormons, Mothers and MonstersSamuel Barrington Stage Company
2012 Wicked Boq (replacement) Gershwin Theatre
Rent Steve New World Stages
Bare: The Musical Peter
2013–14 Matilda the Musical Michael Wormwood Shubert Theatre
2014–15 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Christopher Boone (alternate) Ethel Barrymore Theatre
2016ClarkstonJake Dallas Theater Center
Poster BoyTyler Clementi Williamstown Theatre Festival
2017–18 Hello, Dolly! Barnaby Tucker Shubert Theatre
2018–19 Dear Evan Hansen Evan Hansen (replacement) Music Box Theatre
2019–20 To Kill a Mockingbird Dill Harris (replacement) Shubert Theatre
2022 Shucked Storyteller 2 Pioneer Theatre Company
2023 Camelot Mordred Vivian Beaumont Theater
2024The Seven Year DisappearNaphtali The New Group

Bold indicates a Broadway theatre

Television/Film credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017–18 Nella the Princess Knight Trevor (voice)3 episodes
2020 Archibald's Next Big Thing Archibald (singing voice)Episode: "Baritone Tea"
2021 Evil Mitch OtterbeanEpisode: "C is for Cannibal"
2021 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Diggy WheelerEpisode: "Fast Times @TheWheelhouse"
2024Things Like ThisEric
2024Your MonsterScotty

Discography

Cast recordings

Singles

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryShowResultRef.
2009 Denver Post Ovation AwardBest Supporting ActorSpring AwakeningWon [30]
2009 BroadwayWorld Best of L.A. & O.C.Best Individual PerformanceSpring AwakeningWon [31]
2018Broadway.com Audience Choice AwardsFavorite ReplacementDear Evan HansenNominated [32]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Taylor Trensch". IMDb. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  2. "Twink awakening". dallasvoice.com. March 17, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  3. "The Brag Sheet". Blake Theater Department. June 23, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Farmer, Jim (March 8, 2010). "Two gay Southerners bring Broadway home". Project Q Atlanta. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  5. "Elon actors reunite in nationally touring hit musical". Elon University. October 9, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Moore, John (December 4, 2009). "Spring Awakening's Taylor Trensch at Lake Dillon". The Denver Post.
  7. 1 2 "Blake High grad lands role in Broadway production of Wicked". Tampa Bay Times.
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  10. "Hunter Foster, Dick Latessa, Malcolm Gets, Jennifer Laura Thompson Will Star in Little Miss Sunshine". Playbill.com. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  11. "Flying High. A"WICKED" Fan site: Taylor Trensch will replace Etai BenShlomo as Boq January 24!". Flyinghighwithwicked.blogspot.com. December 11, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
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  13. "Starry Into the Woods Reading Cast".
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  16. "NYTimes Matthew Broderick Cast in 'Sylvia'; Alex Sharp to Leave 'Curious Incident'". July 28, 2015.
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  18. 1 2 "Poster Boy - Williamstown Theatre Festival". wtfestival.org. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Hetrick, Adam (September 16, 2016). "Kate Baldwin, Gavin Creel, Jennifer Simard Join Bette Midler Hello, Dolly!". Playbill.
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  28. Rooney, David (October 3, 2019). "Broadway Smash 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Completes Second-Year Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter .
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