Theater Professor Moonlights as Shakespearean Actor

By Broadside Style Editor Emily Sharrer.

Associate Professor of Theater Edward Gero is not your typical academic. In fact, one might go as far as to say that Gero, in his 25th season performing at D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company, warrants his own adage: those who can, do, and those who can, also like to teach. Gero, who has been teaching Theater at Mason since 1991, is well-versed in practicing what he preaches; not only does Gero teach a full course load, he moonlights as a four-time Helen Hayes award-winning actor for his work in Shakespearean, contemporary and musical theatre.

“When I came to George Mason what I brought to the university was actually the experience of being a professional actor,” said Gero. “I’ve been in Washington for 25 years so balancing life and career has been part of my responsibilities. To act as a role model to students and bring professional standards to the classroom has been my mission. It doesn’t feel like work.”

Gero, who joined the Mason faculty in 1990 has performed in New York, in regional theater, on television and in films and is now riding the success of the Studio Theatre’s Irish drama Shining City, which wrapped in June.

The teacher by day and actor by night is also a member of the Actor’s Equity and the National Committee for Standards in the Arts and you might just recognize him from his performances at Mason’s Theatre of the First Amendment, The Studio Theatre, Round House Theatre or Olney Theatre.

“It’s awesome that working in Washington I get to work with actors from around the world and not often, but from time to time, break out onto the national stage,” said Gero.

Currently, Gero, who has been featured in over 55 Shakespeare Theatre productions, is starring as Horace Vandergelder in The Matchmaker at Center Stage, a leading professional producing theater company in Baltimore, Md.

Since the play’s opening in September, Gero has been making trips to Baltimore on the weekends while successfully juggling a three-course class load at Mason. However, when the production draws to a close this Sunday, Gero’s acting days will be far from over.

Center Stage recently named the Mason professor an Associate Artist, meaning that both the theatre and Gero plan to collaborate on other productions in the future.

Also, the veteran thespian has two upcoming theatre appearances to look forward to. From January 14 to February 22, Gero will star in the Broadway comedy The Seafarer at Washington, D.C.’s Studio Theatre and follow it up with an appearance in The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of King Lear beginning June 16, 2009 alongside famous actor Stacy Keach.

But that’s not all, Gero also enjoys doing voice recordings for Discovery Channel documentaries, and has one that will air in November called “The President’s Guide to Science.”

“I do that pretty regularly,” said Gero. “There was a writer who worked for Discovery Channel that has one foot in the professional world as a renaissance scholar and he also writers scripts for discovery documentaries.”

The two developed a relationship after Gero spoke to a class that the writer brought to the Shakespeare Theatre and landed a job narrating documentaries.

“That started a long relationship with the producers at discovery channel,” said Gero.

Surprisingly, Gero’s acting commitments have rarely taken a toll on his teaching career, though during a production of King Lear in Chicago, flying back and forth between Chicago and D.C. took a toll on the actor.

“It is hectic but I get a chance to practice what I’m teaching and show the students I can hold my feet to the fire,” said Gero. “It’s very exciting and rewarding. It all comes back to the classroom…certainly in the performing arts you can’t teach it unless you can do it whether it be painters or dancers or musicians. Teaching and doing actually go hand in hand.”

Besides boasting a full acting and teaching schedule, Gero still finds time to visit Italy with his wife Marjike, a special educator for D.C. Public Schools, and 20-year-old son Christian, a junior at Northwestern University. Gero, of Italian descent discovered his passion for genealogy several years back.

“I’m very grateful to express all my passions in the theater, in teaching and in language translating and being able to have a successful balance between a career as an artist and teacher and family life,” said Gero. “It’s a great gift and I only hope that by example I can show that it’s possible to have a rewarding and fulfilling life and thanks to GMU it’s been possible.”