Blake Anthony Edwards, M.F.A.

Blake Anthony Edwards is an actor, playwright, director, and educator. His work as a performer includes a Guest Artist invitation for a production of Lynn Nottage's Sweat at the 2022 William Inge Festival. His written works have been produced across the country, including four works of Theatre for Young Audiences: Big Bad Wolf Tales, The Odyssey, The Quibbling Siblings, and The One and Only Sarah Stonely. He has directed a wide variety of theatrical genres, from Shakespeare to TYA to solo performance, and just prior to coming to Gonzaga, he directed Romeo & Juliet for St. Louis Shakespeare.

His research explores how the Hunter Heartbeat Method – theatrical games designed for students on the autism spectrum – can be utilized as essential training and foundational skill-building for all young actors. This original research effort provides an embodied, physical “vocabulary” for actors who are just beginning to learn Stanislavskian techniques, but is also inclusive of members of neurodiverse communities.