Patrick Swanson, artistic director

Paddy Swanson began his career in London as an actor at the Arts Theatre in the West End. In 1969, he toured Europe with La MaMa Plexus and subsequently got his world theater education from Ellen Stewart at La MaMa E.T.C. His numerous directing projects include opera, ensemble, and music theater, and he was a founding director of Circus Flora.

Paddy taught acting and improvisation at the London Academy of Dramatic Art (L.A.M.D.A.), the London Drama Centre, and New York University. He served as artistic director of the Castle Hill Festival at Castle Hill in Ipswich, Massachusetts, producing opera and theater works, including the premieres of Julie Taymor's Liberty's Taken and Peter Sellars’ production of Cosi fan Tutte. Directing credits include Tristan and Iseult with the Boston Camerata at the Spoleto USA festival; Shirley Valentine at Houston's Alley Theatre and Boston's Charles Playhouse; Happy Days, The Caretaker, and two stage premieres at Gloucester Stage Company; Talking Heads by Alan Bennet; and Fighting Over Beverly by Israel Horowitz. His production of King Lear with the Actor's Shakespeare Project was nominated for three 2006 Elliot Norton awards, and his 2008 production of The Tempest with ASP met with great acclaim and sold out performances.

For Revels, Paddy has directed The Mysteries, a contemporary version of medieval mystery plays, co-produced by Revels and Shakespeare & Company, and Britten's opera Noye's Fludde. He writes and directs scripts, and, with music director George Emlen, serves as consultant to the nine Revels production companies.

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