Biography
Andrew Michael Neiman is a Chicago-based actor, playwright, screenwriter and educator. As an actor, Mr. Neiman has toured internationally with The American Shakespeare Center (formerly The Shenandoah Shakespeare Express); appeared in an off-off Broadway musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Moonwork); has worked extensively with St. Louis Shakespeare and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis; performed at The Connecticut Repertory Theatre (Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure).
As an adapter of the works of William Shakespeare, Mr. Neiman has created (with longtime collaborator, Christopher Limber) A Midsummer Night's Dream: In the Wink of an Eye, Quick-Brewed MacBeth, As You Like It: Lickety Split, The Tempest in a Flash and Much A Doo Wop About Nothing, all of which were produced by Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' educational touring arm. Riding solo, Mr. Neiman also created Soothsayin': a Stylin' Julius Caesar, a hip-hop extravaganza, produced by Shakespeare Festival St. Louis over the course of two consecutive touring seasons. Additionally, he wrote an original version of The Emperor's New Clothes for St. Louis Shakespeare.
As a theatre educator, Mr. Neiman headed up the inaugural educational initiative for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, as both performer and facilitator of a workshop that explored staging possibilities for Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Neiman has directed four original adaptations of A Midsummer Night's Dream (three middle school productions; one high school production) as well as original adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing (for 6th graders in the St. Louis Public School System), As You like It (middle school); MacBeth (middle and high school) and Two Gentleman of Verona (middle and high school). Additionally, he has coached summer apprentices at the acclaimed Berkshire Theatre Festival as they developed various Shakespearean scenes for their end-of-summer showcase. Mr. Neiman served as Artistic Director for two select teen theatre companies at The Center of Creative Arts in St Louis, Missouri.
In January (of 2011) Mr. Neiman will appear in Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's production of As You Like It.
