Swarthmore College Department of Theater

Swarthmore College Department of Theater Swarthmore's Theater Department is an educational and artistic laboratory. We encourage students to

Swarthmore's Theater Department is an educational and artistic laboratory—a place for testing the talents and intellect of students and faculty alike. We combine a rigorous liberal arts education with the practical exploration of performance. We continually seek new working relationships between the academy and the professional theater and build bridges between the American theater and our international colleagues.

We at Swarthmore Theater mourn the passing of Dito Van Reigersberg ('94), also known as Martha Graham Cracker, Philadelp...
06/02/2026

We at Swarthmore Theater mourn the passing of Dito Van Reigersberg ('94), also known as Martha Graham Cracker, Philadelphia's Hairiest Drag Queen. Dito lit up the hearts of everyone he met with his infectious laugh and beautiful voice. Dito was a founding member of the Pig Iron Theater Company which had its roots in the Frear Ensemble Theater. Pictured here is Dito's Senior Company Poster "Out of Falling." We are so honored to have shared time and space with this ball of energy and love. We promise, Dito, that we will always live faster, love harder, and be sillier.

Frank Paz (‘26) sweats the small stuff because he knows the small details are what makes the bigger picture. In his time...
05/22/2026

Frank Paz (‘26) sweats the small stuff because he knows the small details are what makes the bigger picture. In his time at Swat Theater, he has honed his skills as a performer and playwright with a laser focused persistence. This year alone, he performed in Orlando and GLORIA showing off the culmination of his great work in the studio. Frank also brings the same level of focus to his work in voice. This, combined with his passion for linguistics, are some of the many things that make him a whiz at accents. He also shows off his love for words through his work as a playwright, graduating with a playwriting honors and his own new play: The Night of Ended Secrets. Frank intends to continue studying Voice and Speech Pedagogies in the coming years. Congratulations, Frank.

Photos by Howard Wang, Cara Anderson, Eva Cheng, and Jaime Alvarez

Kana Nagata (‘26) declared her major in our department when she realized Theater is the thing that makes her say “Thank ...
05/22/2026

Kana Nagata (‘26) declared her major in our department when she realized Theater is the thing that makes her say “Thank You.” In one conversation with Kana, you can see how she values the interpersonal, and what happens between people–both onstage and offstage. She realizes the studio a space of care, and requires precision, concentration and persistence. As a director, she leads courageously, and is unafraid to say “I am not sure. Let me think on that.” When she performs, she enjoys that theater makes her say and do things she would never do on her own. She plans to be a teacher. We are so grateful for the time we have gotten to spend with Kana. Congratulations, Kana.

Photos by Jaime Alvarez, Eli Eisenstein, and Lizzie Culp

Noa Murray (‘26) loves people–every single part of them. As a performer, she has always been interested in the identitie...
05/22/2026

Noa Murray (‘26) loves people–every single part of them. As a performer, she has always been interested in the identities, internal struggles, and inner-workings of her characters. Her work performing as three different characters in GLORIA allowed her to bring her curiosity to the forefront. In 32 Very Short Plays About Letting Go, she discovered new ways of creating and making theater. She is most interested in theatrical work that asks the big questions like “who are we?” and “why do we do what we do?” After graduation, Noa plans on moving back to New York to continue to audition and pursue acting as a profession. Congratulations, Noa!

Photos by Jaime Alvarez, Eli Eisenstein and Eva Cheng

Griffin Moore (‘26) shapes movement and light to create cozy intimate experiences for his audiences. As a Lighting Desig...
05/21/2026

Griffin Moore (‘26) shapes movement and light to create cozy intimate experiences for his audiences. As a Lighting Designer, Griffin transformed studio spaces into whole different worlds for projects like Sweet Melodies and Salty Air and Circle Mirror Transformation. He does so to invite his audiences to lose themselves in the new world lit around them and the performers. Griffin’s care for the audience is also demonstrated in his body-focused work as a performer in Orlando and Pig Iron Theater’s Bartok’s Monster. His warm and collaborative spirit helped to solidify the 2026 Senior Ensemble. This summer, Griffin will be working with the Glimmerglass Festival. After which, he plans to move back to the Twin Cities to pursue a career as a designer. Congratulations, Griffin.

Photos by Jaime Alvarez, John Hawthorne, and Eli Eisenstein

Nico Johnson (‘26) takes inspiration from the media and music that he grew up with. As a Music and Theater double major,...
05/21/2026

Nico Johnson (‘26) takes inspiration from the media and music that he grew up with. As a Music and Theater double major, Nico uses rhythm, progression, and pacing in everything he does: be that his catchy pop music (like “Lollygagger” – out now wherever you stream music!) or his open and vulnerable performance in 32 Very Short Plays About Letting Go. This year, he honed his acting prowess in portraying Lorin in GLORIA and the Doctor in Woyzeck. In each performance, he unearthed every inch of these characters to show us his unique understanding of the world. His performance power is only matched by his deep scholarship in dramaturgy and analysis of theater performance. Nico plans to keep making music after he graduates from Swarthmore. We are so excited to see what he whips up next. Congratulations, Nico.

Photos by Wide Eyed Studios, Eli Eisenstein, Eva Cheng, and Jaime Alvarez

The theater department would not be able to function without Montana Hamel (‘26). An organizing force for every producti...
05/21/2026

The theater department would not be able to function without Montana Hamel (‘26). An organizing force for every production she is a part of, Montana has served as stage manager for Orlando, GLORIA, and Circle Mirror Transformation this academic year. As she was wading through rehearsal and performance reports, she was also quietly directing the grotesque Pomona, produced by Drama Board this spring. Ever ready to help out, she even jumps in to help out with playreadings when she can. Her relentless optimism and attention to detail have made tech rehearsals easy, and performances breezy. We will miss her! Congratulations, Montana!

Photos by Lizzie Culp

Grace Fruauff’s (‘26) work explores the definition of community by examining who is included and who is pushed out. No w...
05/20/2026

Grace Fruauff’s (‘26) work explores the definition of community by examining who is included and who is pushed out. No wonder, then, that she has been a foundational member of the community of this year’s senior class. Her unique approach to leadership through collaboration, reflects her artistic drive. In her senior directing thesis, Woyzeck, her keen perspective on the forces that make an outsider was fully realized. During her time at Swat Theater in Everybody, 32 Very Short Plays About Letting Go, and False Thief, her playwriting thesis, Grace has taken on the role of actor, director, and playwright. In all these roles, she has always been a generous and warm collaborator. Grace plans to move to New York next year and make her own performance work. We can’t wait to see what she does next! Congratulations, Grace.

A leader in the department, Lizzie Culp (‘26) is always making connections. It’s her insatiable curiosity about theater ...
05/20/2026

A leader in the department, Lizzie Culp (‘26) is always making connections. It’s her insatiable curiosity about theater and performance that guides her to bring together concepts and people. It’s also what makes her such a fantastic dramaturg, leader, and performer. As the Assistant Director and Dramaturg for Senior Company’s GLORIA, she offered her own ideas while facilitating the needs of her colleagues. And in Orlando, The Wolves, and her own devised piece, Whale Project, she demonstrated an apt and mature perspective on the theater. She’s also got a great voice. Lizzie plans to explore creating new work in the New York City area. Congratulations, Lizzie!

Maddie Adams-Miller (‘26) wants to create beautiful spaces that are accessible for all of us. Throughout her time at Swa...
05/20/2026

Maddie Adams-Miller (‘26) wants to create beautiful spaces that are accessible for all of us. Throughout her time at Swarthmore, she advocated for inclusive space design through her scholarship and set design concentration. For her set design for GLORIA, Maddie wanted to create a space that demonstrated how the trauma of the characters continues to live on in them past the tragedy they face. Her ability to advocate for her design while also looking out for the perspectives of others made her a fantastic collaborator. Her enthusiasm and willingness to work hard will be missed in the department. Congratulations, Maddie.

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500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA
19081

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(610) 328-8000

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