Stephen Schellhardt

Stephen Schellhardt (he/him) is an award winning artist hooked on theatre since the second grade when he organized, cast and put on a performance of The Wizard of Oz for his entire grade school. What followed has been a marvelous theatrical journey encompassing a musical theatre degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s acclaimed drama school and a professional career since in New York City, the Chicago area, regional and international theatres.

Stephen has worked across theatre as a performer and as a creative. He is a Joseph Jefferson Award-winning director and actor, as well as educator, choreographer, producer, casting director and artistic director. As an actor, Stephen has worked with every equity theatre company in Chicago as well as with the Lyric Opera, the Ravinia Festival, and Northwestern, Roosevelt and Rockford Universities. Memorable chicago credits include Fun Home (Paramount Theatre); The Full Monty (Marriott Theatre); Little Women (Marriott Theatre); Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Paramount Theatre); My Fair Lady (Chicago’s Lyric Opera); The Hot Mikado (Drury Lane); Into the Woods (Paramount Theatre); Cabaret (Marriott Theatre). National Tours: Altar Boyz. Regional: Cry it Out (Barter Theatre); Little Women (Bristol Riverside Theatre); The Full Monty and Cinderella (North Carolina Theatre). International credits: Persuasion (Chamber Opera Chicago). He was in the first National Tour of Altar Boyz and performed in Jane Austen’s Persuasion at The Royal Winchester Theatre in England and at the Shanklin Theatre on The Isle of Wight (Chicago Opera Theatre). He is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association.

Stephen’s recent directing credits include A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago (Jeff Nomination – Best Director); The Wizard of Oz, Footloose, and The Play That Goes Wrong (Barter Theatre); Queer Eye: The Musical Parody (Second City Chicago), Big Fish (*Jeff Award Winner – Best Director), Urinetown (Jeff Nomination – Best Director), Dogfight (Jeff Nomination - Best Choreography) at BoHo Theatre in Chicago; Greater Tuna (Timberlake Playhouse); Songs for a New World at Rockford University and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at Northwestern University.

Stephen also served as Associate Producer and Casting Director at Writers Theatre in Glencoe before becoming a visiting professor at Northwestern University and then head of Musical Theatre at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt. He was a proud company member for six years and artistic director for three years at Chicago’s BoHo Theatre.

Stephen grew up in a theatrical family and is the brother of Film and TV actress Mary Kate Schellhardt and playwright Laura Schellhardt. He currently resides in Chicago with his husband, actor Devin DeSantis, and their beautiful daughter Abigail.