Biography

John is an award-winning, classically-trained, character actor who's worked in CT theatre scene for nearly 30 years.

John has been addicted to performing since childhood. First, improvising puppet shows with his brother & cousin, and later making up superhero adventures for captive family audiences in his grandparents' basement.

Over time he started to hit the harder stuff: school plays & memorizing stand-up albums.

Upon moving to MD in his teens, he lucked out to find his local HS had one of the best theatre programs in the state. This allowed him to attend student workshops & perform at festivals at The Folger Library in DC and Ball State in IN.

He dabbled briefly in college. Quickly realizing academics were not for him.

He stuck it out a couple years just in case, but only learned to trust his first instincts.

After marrying Tanya Feduik-Smith & moving to her native CT, they became involved in one of many doomed efforts to reopen Stratford's legendary (and now sadly, destroyed) Shakespeare Festival Theatre.

Through this effort, they were invited to Playing Shakespeare USA, a weekend intensive, with RSC Co-Founder, the late John Barton.

John was also included in a reading series of new, yet to be produced plays: Monsters w/ James Earl Jones, Whitechapel w/ Julie Harris, & Voodoo Mambo w/ Millicent Martin

So the time spent wasn't a total loss.

Following a hiatus to focus on raising the family & a burgeoning career as a metal trader, John returned to performing working primarily at The Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport CT.

Following his performance as Harding under Tanya's direction in The Bijou's award winning, crowd pleasing, and critically acclaimed production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest, they joined a revamped Bijou staff as Artistic Consultants & Producers of it's newly renamed live theatre wing: The Bijou Actors' Guild.

Unfortunately economic struggles forced management at The Bijou to call it quits soon after, and he & Tanya spun off The Guild into Vagabond Theatre Company, where they work as Artistic Directors.

In addition to The Bijou, John has performed and produced at theaters around CT including: Algonkuin Theatre Company, Godlight Productions at Long Wharf's Stage II, Wilton Playshop, Eastbound Theater, Clockwork Rep, & Town Players of New Canaan.

He has also played leading and supporting roles in a short and feature films. Including his multi-award winning performance as Bernie Davis in The Woodsman, and the upcoming Omnes Films feature: Eephus.

He has been nominated for multiple OnStage Critics' & BroadwayWorld Awards for his theatre performances around CT.

As a producing team, John & Tanya's shows have garnered over 70 nominations for OnStage Critics' & BroadwayWorld Awards, including 20 productions nominated in BroadwayWorld's 2020 - Best of the Decade.
- IMDb mini biography by: John R Smith Jnr