Hollywood Actor and Alumnus Adam Shapiro Joins TDPS Board of Visitors

Adam Shapiro (Photo by Adam Sheridan Taylor)

Adam Shapiro (Photo by Adam Sheridan Taylor)

Actor and alumnus Adam Shapiro has recently become the newest member of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ board of visitors.

A busy Los Angeles-based actor and producer, Shapiro has appeared in the movies Steve Jobs, Now You See Me, I Am Not a Hipster, and A Single Man. He has guest starred on TV shows including Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, The Mindy Project, and CSI: Cyber. On the Los Angeles stage, he has acted in RENT and the world premieres of Bachelorette and Assistance. He also has a voice role in Feast, the 2015 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film.

The primary purpose of the School’s board of visitors is to serve as a supportive body dedicated to sustaining and advancing the mission and strategic priorities of TDPS. In doing so, members serve as ambassadors to the broader community. Shapiro’s decision to join the board is due in large part to wanting to give back to the School from which he has gained so much. “Without the support of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, I would never have been given an entry point into the world of entertainment,” he said. “I’ve always felt prepared. At Maryland, I developed the artistic foundation I needed in order to thrive in the professional world. To this day, my undergraduate advisor, Scot Reese, is still my advisor. No one has contributed to my success more than he has.”

Shapiro, who received his bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Maryland in 2002, is co-founder of IAMA Theatre Company in Los Angeles. As a producer, he won the 2014 Ovation Award for his theatre company’s production of The Recommendation. In 2011, he was nominated for an Ovation Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for the role Joe in the world premiere of Hey, Morgan! (Ovation Awards are peer-judged awards that recognize excellence in theatre in the Los Angeles area.)

“As an actor and producer in Hollywood for nearly 15 years, I’ve gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about the business of performance,” said Shapiro. “I hope to bring that knowledge, as well as my experience in marketing and social media, to TDPS to help recruit new active alumni. I also hope to provide another voice to help the School grow and gain more recognition—not only in the greater Maryland area, but also out here on the West Coast.”

Shapiro recently completed filming the lead role in the pilot for a half-hour comedy on TBS. He also recently developed and served as executive producer of The Nanny Ring, an ABC pilot, with partners Katie Lowes, Kerry Washington, and Shonda Rhimes. Later this year, the in-demand actor will star in five newly released films, Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant, The Answer, Sister, Nobody Walks in LA, and Ctl Alt Delete.

In January 2016, Shapiro and fellow alumnus Jared Paul hosted the School’s first Los Angeles alumni event. In April 2016, Shapiro will be the keynote speaker for Access2Alumni, a University of Maryland College of Arts and Humanities event where professionally successful alumni discuss their career experiences with current students.

Click here to find out more about Shapiro.