Trish Brown Schmit

"I have always loved teaching because it provides a platform to awaken the creative impulse within us all. I especially love the ensemble nature of teaching and the collaborative process that takes place in the classroom. And I frankly just love actors!"

Trish Schmit has been a director, actress, and educator for over 20 years. In addition to her academic career, Trish maintains an active professional life, having recently directed The Revolutionists at Insight Theatre in St. Louis, and Footloose at Theatre West in Nebraska. Schmit has also been a professional teaching artist at COCA St. Louis and coaches actors for film, commercial, and theatre auditions. She is a founding member of The Moving Dock Theatre Company in Chicago and Bankside Repertory Theatre in Alton, Illinois.

Schmit is an expert teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique, which focuses on the actor's creative inner life. She has studied and taught this acting method since meeting her mentor, Chekhov Master Teacher Dawn Arnold and has studied with three of Chekhov's original pupils—Master Teachers Joanna Merlin, Mala Powers, and Jack Colvin. Trish also has a great love of film directing and has created, executive produced, and directed the short comedy Bottom Little Theatre. Her next film project, Girl’s Night Out, is currently in development.

During her years of college teaching, Schmit has received a variety of honors, including two Best Production for the State of Illinois awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. She has also been nominated for several Best Director awards by Broadway.com STL for productions including Spinning Into Butter, John and Jen, and On Golden Pond.

Memberships and Affiliations

• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society 
• Michael Chekhov Association 
• Association for Theatre in Higher Education

Publications and Presentations

Recent theatre directing credits

• The Revolutionists (Insight Theatre)
• Footloose (Theatre West)
• Hidden in this Picture (Bankside Repertory Theatre)
• Eleemosynary (Moving Dock Theatre)

Schmit is also the Associate Director of Petalwink: The Musical, a new ariel musical for young audiences currently in development.