Nick Schwasman

Nick Schwasman is a performing artist and director from Rochester, New York, currently living and working in Philadelphia, PA. He is a proud graduate of Rush-Henrietta high school (class of 2010), where he first found his love for the performing arts. While attending R-H, Nick played percussion in Concert Band and sang with the R-H Singers. Nick was also an active member of R-H Spotlight Theater, performing in many productions. He was recognized by Rochester Broadway Theater’s Stars of Tomorrow for his performances in Beauty and the Beast (Gaston) and West Side Story (Action).

Nick grew up in a large Irish family and spent much of his childhood training, performing, and competing in Irish dance. While in high school, Nick competed twice in the world championships of Irish Dance. Through dance, his love for Irish culture grew. He became interested in Irish Poetry, learned to play traditional Irish instruments, and in 2010 received the “Ambassador to Waterford” scholarship for his commitment to his heritage from the Rochester Irish festival.

In 2010, Nick moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts, where he earned his BFA in Musical Theater. While studying at U-Arts, he began to develop an interest in devised theater and experimental performance. In his senior year of undergrad, Nick worked as a writer and performer for Pig Iron Theater company’s “Pay Up,” an immersive performance that set audience members in a simulated economic environment. In 2015, Nick started graduate school at the University of the Arts / Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training, where he studied devised theater.

In 2017, Nick co-founded Drip Symphony with best friend and longtime collaborator Nate Barnett. Drip Symphony is a Philadelphia-based live performance company that brings together diverse artists committed to creating new, engaging art. Together they fuse experimental practices with established technique to make innovative performance for a modern audience. Drip Symphony has produced two full length performances in the Philadelphia Fringe festival “Wedgwood on the Green” in 2017 and “Shelter” in 2018.

Nick works professionally as a director and performer. He was an apprentice at The Lantern Theater Company for their 2019-2020 season, where he assistant directed “The Last Match,” by Anna Ziegler. He has also assistant directed with The Renegade Company and Obie Award winning Lightning Rod Special. Most recently, Nick worked as Assistant Director with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Brian Sanders JUNK’s on “A Modern-Day Carmen Fantasy”.

As a performer, Nick has worked with the Pennsylvania Ballet, The Barnes Museum, Pig Iron Theater, The Arden Theater Company, The Lantern Theater Company, Brian Sanders JUNK, and Declan Weir Productions with TD Bank.