Broadway alum joins Elon’s acting faculty

Ryan Shively always thought he would be a teacher. In fact, when interviewing for his MFA in acting at Purdue University, where he would later graduate, he stated that one of the reasons he wanted to earn an MFA was so that he could teach.

His path took a different turn than expected and after a year in New York, he began to work as a reader at auditions for the Roundabout Theatre Company, where he would eventually appear as an understudy for the role of Chris in "All My Sons," and later that same year join the revival cast of "1776" on Broadway. 

For more than a decade, Shively appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in Regional theaters across the country. From roles like the Dauphin in "Henry V" at the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park to the role of George Smith in "Twentieth Century" at the American Airlines Theater, Shively enjoyed his New York career. He also played roles like Petrucchio in "The Taming of the Shrew" at Northshore Theatre in Boston and The Shakespeare Theatre in Chicago. However, it was his work as Amos in the revival of "The Man Who Had All the Luck" by Arthur Miller, which was the highlight. First staged at the historic Williamstown Festival and later brought to Broadway, Shively’s work with Miller (then living) and director Scott Ellis, along with actor Jim Rebhorn, became a turning point in his career. 

Shively left New York for Los Angeles with his wife, actor Kim Shively. In Los Angles, Shively continued to work on film and television and in the theater, but also discovered found other aspirations. Before the birth of his first son, Shively began a new career as an acquisitions manager for an investment company in Los Angeles. Still acting, coaching and teaching on occasion, Shively encouraged his wife to accept a position at Elon while he quickly found work as a commercial appraiser in Greensboro, N.C. 

After relocating to North Carolina, Shively began coaching and teaching acting once again. When looking for the right person to teach the Acting Program’s Senior Seminar this fall, the Department of Performing Arts did not have to look far. Senior Seminar in the Acting Program is a course dedicated to professional preparation and high-level execution of technique. These demands have been the building blocks of Ryan Shively’s career.  

Elon’s professional acting training program is thrilled to welcome him to the team this fall.