Actor
Actor
AEA, SAG-AFTRA
UPCOMING: Lady Mottram in GARSIDE'S CAREER at the Mint Theatre
Scroll to bottom of resume to see production photos and read reviews
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 130 lbs
Hair & Eyes: Dark Brown
FILM:
Delinquent
13 Conversations About One Thing
Petty Crimes
Never Again
The Thomas Crown Affair
TELEVISION:
FBI: Most Wanted, "Overlooked"
MANIFEST: “Duty Free”
MADAM SECRETARY: “Daisy”
MRS. FLETCHER: "Welcome Back"
HOSTAGES: "2:45 PM"
LAW & ORDER:
“Memo From the Dark Side”
“Melting Pot”
“Fame”
“Embedded”
As The World Turns
JONNY ZERO: “Sins of the Father”
THIRD WATCH: “Crime & Punishment II”
SOPRANOS: “Watching Too Much Television”
SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT:
“Wrath”
“Limitations”
OZ: “Blizzard of 01”
All My Children
Dottie Gets Spanked
THEATRE:
GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Much Ado About Nothing
Hamlet
GUTHRIE THEATER
Richard II
Henry IV
Henry V
GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
The Tempest
GUTHRIE THEATER
Steel Magnolias
GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
No Child
Cymbeline
GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE
The Trial of Donna Caine
GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Shakespeare in Love
All's Well That Ends Well
Richard III
Comedy of Errors
THE PUBLIC THEATRE OF MAINE
Under The Skin
NEW FEDERAL THEATRE
Josh: The Black Babe Ruth
Satchel: Requiem for Racism
THE PEARL THEATRE
The House of Bernarda Alba
Iphigeneia at Aulis
CAPITAL REP
Crumbs From The Table Of Joy
DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY
The Taming of the Shrew
STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS
A Lesson Before Dying
HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Odd Couple
ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
A Lesson Before Dying (World Premiere)
Antony & Cleopatra
Measure For Measure
The Coming Of Rain
The Miracle Worker
BARTER THEATRE
Ellen Foster
On the Third Day
KENNEDY CENTER
Flyin’ West
CROSSROADS THEATRE
Home
Oak & Ivy (World Premiere)
FILM:
Mrs. Hendricks
Del’s Receptionist
INS Officer Warren
Doctor Taylor
Teacher
TELEVISION:
Dr. Beth Carey (Guest Star)
Judge Dorothy L. Wright (co-star)
Judge Carmen Jones (co-star)
Clerk
Lilith
Judge Arlene Jones
Judge Arlene Jones
Arraignment
Dr. Binder
DA June Hamilton
Doctor Mathis
Clerk Harris
Regina Hicks
Bank Manager
Trish Lohman
Reporter
Nurse Arlene
Mother PBS
THEATRE:
Beatrice
Gertrude
Duchess of Gloucester / Bishop of Carlisle
Westmoreland
Westmoreland
Prospero
GUTHRIE THEATER
M'Lynn
GUTHRIE THEATER
16 Different Characters
Queen / Belarius
GUTHRIE
Judge Olivia Easton
GUTHRIE
Queen Elizabeth I / Nurse
The Countess / Marianna
Queen Margaret/Citizen/Scrivener/Blunt Abbess
TGUTHRIE THEATER
Marlene / Dr. Badu / Barista
NEW FEDERAL THEATRE
Grace
Dotty
THE PEARL THEATRE
Magdalena
Chorus
CAPITAL REP
Lily Ann Green
DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY
Tranio
STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS
Vivian Baptiste
HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Renee
ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Vivian Baptiste
Charmian
Mistress Overdone
Hag 2
Viney
BARTER THEATRE
Starletta’s Mama / Mavis
Anna / Mary
KENNEDY CENTER
Fannie / Minnie (u/s)
CROSSROADS THEATRE
Pattie Mae / Woman #1
Alice Dunbar
HBOFILM:
Dir: Kieran Valla
Dir: Jill Sprecher
Dir: Michel Ferry
Dir: Eric Schaeffer
Dir: John McTiernan
TELEVISION:
CBS, Milena Govich
NBC, Ruba Nadda
CBS, Rob Greenlea
HBO, Gillian Robespierre
CBS, Russell Fine
NBC, Fred Berner
NBC, Jean DeSagonzac
NBC, Jean DeSagonzac
NBC, Ed Sherin
CBS
Fox, Felix Alcala
NBC, Peter Ellis
HBO, John Patterson
NBC, Jean DeSagonzac
NBC, Constantine Makris
HBO, Leslie Libman
WABC
PBS, Todd Haynes
THEATRE:
GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVALdir, Beth
dir, Gaby
Rodriguez
dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson
dir, Joe Haj
dir, Beth Gardiner
dir, Lisa Rothe
GUTHRIE THEATER
dir, Tarah Flanagan
dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson
GUTHRIE
dir, David Saint
GUTHRIE
dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson
dir, Rick Barbour
dir, Doug Scholz-Carlson
dir, Melissa Rain Anderson
THE PUBLIC THEATRE OF MAINE
dir, Janet Mitchko
NEW FEDERAL THEATRE
dir, Coleman
dir, Coleman
THE PEARL THEATRE
dir, Shepard Sobel
dir, Shepard Sobel
CAPITAL REP
dir, Coleman Laura Margolis
DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY
dir, Fontaine Syer
STAMFORD THEATRE WORKS
dir, Patricia R. Floyd
HELEN HAYES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
dir, Harvey Medlinsky
ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
dir, Kent Thompson
dir, Kent Thompson
dir, Derek Anson Jones
dir, James Bohnen
dir, Marco Barricelli
BARTER THEATRE
dir, Constance McCord
dir, Richard Rose
KENNEDY CENTER
dir, Rick Khan
CROSSROADS THEATRE
dir, Ken Johnson
dir, Shirley Jo Finney
Hamlet
"Melissa Maxwell is magnificent as Gertrude, torn between loyalty to her new husband and king, and to her son, whose erratic behavior deeply troubles her. It is never clear at what point Gertrude becomes an accomplice to Claudius, and Maxwell expertly keeps us on edge as to whether she is part of the crime or is herself a victim."
—TalkinBroadway.com
"Melissa Maxwell is a good Gertrude: an obsequious wife who obsessively shadows her husband, and a guilty mother."
—Winona Post
Much Ado About Nothing
"There must be palpable chemistry between our Beatrice and Benedick for their romance via venom to be believed and Maxwell and Sturdivant have that in spades....The roles of Benedict and Beatrice call for a good deal of comic physicality in scenes where they are trying to stay hidden while listening to other characters' banter aimed at getting the two adversaries to acknowledge their true feelings for one another. Sturdivant's turn is first...His shenanigans set a high bar for Maxwell to meet, only to have her outdo her sparring partner with even more phenomenally funny physical machinations, driven by the desire to know that she too is loved....Much Ado About Nothing attains high marks. It delivers a delightfully breezy time, with a pair of tremendous performances by Melissa Maxwell and Will Sturdivant."
—TalkinBroadway.com
"What does work like gangbusters are the choices Melissa Maxwell and Will Sturdivant make as Beatrice and Benedict. Their line readings and the way in which they carry themselves along with the comedic physicality which they bring to the roles is unique and brings a fresh perspective to these timeless characters. The space they have to perform in is limited, but...the physical limitations seem to act as a catalyst for creativity. That Sturdivant and Maxwell shine in the roles is no surprise to anyone who has seen them perform in the past. To see them in these roles is worth the trip alone."
—The Stages of MN
"Melissa Maxwell and William Sturdivant (fresh from the Guthrie's masterful History Plays) play Beatrice and Benedick....The two actors' sparkling wit, chemistry, and willingness to throw themselves physically into the roles (the famous hiding and eavesdropping scenes a highlight) are a delight to watch."
—Cherry and Spoon
Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V
"Of the 22 with speaking roles there isn’t a bad performance and too many to single out individually but here are the names of just a few of those not already mentioned who created very memorable moments and characters across multiple plays; John Catron, Charity Jones, Melissa Maxwell, Lanise Antoine Shelley, and Eric Sharp most of whom local audiences will recognize."
—The Stages of MN
"There are no slouches when it comes to the actors' line readings but these two stand out alongside Charity Jones as John of Gaunt and Melissa Maxwell as the Duchess of Gloucester."
—The Star Tribune
The Tempest
"Melissa Maxwell is wonderful as Prospero, expressing the sagacity and long-simmering patience of the character along with his tenderness toward the daughter he has raised in isolation from the world of men. Maxwell is a superb actor who in the past few seasons has become an indispensable member of the Great River company. She tackles the cross-gender casting with aplomb...."
—TalkinBroadway.com
Steel Magnolias
"The six actors who occupy the stage are a dream team, each and every one sublime. ... Melissa Maxwell, also making a Guthrie debut after several impressive seasons at the Great River Shakespeare Festival, is deeply moving as M'Lynn...."
—Talkin' Broadway
"Maxwell lets us see into M’Lynn’s ways and worries, taking the edge off a therapist character who seemingly gives her daughter a reason to need therapy. ...this is a show that everyone should see, including men. “Magnolias” takes a viewer inside a place where women are themselves, empowered, witty and free. It’s a period piece, yes, with big hair and all, but it resonates in this moment in 21st-century America."
—Star Tribune
"Melissa Maxwell (who can also be seen in Minnesota at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona) and Nicole King make a believable mother/daughter team as M'Lynn and Shelby, with a palpable love (and sometimes frustration) between them." —Cherry and Spoon
"Her mother, M’Lynn (Melissa Maxwell), is also strong, opinionated, and fierce as a bear when it comes to her daughter. The mother-daughter dynamic between these two actors felt so real, like they were actually related. They know how to get under each other’s skin, to poke, to prod, to rile each other up, and to love with devotion."
—Play off the Page.
No Child...
"...the one-actor performance by Melissa Maxwell is a singularly brilliant tour de force.... Some theatre experiences are unforgettable and Maxwell's performance in NO CHILD is firmly in this category."
—Broadwayworld.com
"The real reason to go to this play is not to hear the well-worn message, but rather to experience the acting talent of Maxwell. It is something you don’t see every day." —Winona Post
"Melissa deftly transforms herself from the old janitor to the teaching artist to an inexperienced teacher to a half dozen very different teenagers. It's spell-binding to watch her tell this story and infuse each character with distinct life and personality." —Cherry and Spoon
"No Child ... performed by the amazing Melissa Maxwell ....A gorgeous tour-de-force of an evocative and sometimes heartbreaking work." —Minnesota Theater Lover
Cymbeline
"In typical Shakespeare fashion, several actors play multiple characters and Melissa Maxwell deserves masses of praise as the most elegant and stately of queens, then, in act two, disappears utterly into the poor woodsman and father Belarius."
—Minnesota Theater Lover
"The king's second wife, a character we love to hate called only Queen - a deliciously wicked Melissa Maxwell - will stop at nothing to manipulate her husband on any number of matters."
—Broadwayworld.com
"As his Queen, Melissa Maxwell is fully realized villain, her ambition driving her every act as she conspires to deceive her husband, the king. She does admirable as Belarius, the man who long ago kidnapped Cymbeline's two sons, now living secluded deep in the forest." —Talkin' Broadway
The Trial of Donna Caine
"But under David Saint’s direction, there is appropriate humor, notably in the performances of Melissa Maxwell as an exacting federal judge….” —My Central Jersey
"Curiously, what keeps our attention more than the obligatory surprises and revelations are the interesting cast of characters who appear before a no-nonsense court judge (a very fine Melissa Maxwell)."
—Curtain Up
"Melissa Maxwell, who plays the presiding judge in the case, is terrific.” —Front Row Center
"Melissa Maxwell lent a welcome touch of humor as the sarcastic, no-nonsense judge presiding over the trial.” —Out in Jersey
All's Well That Ends Well
"Melissa Maxwell, as the Countess of Rossillion, brings an essential emotional arc to this production, as she is first a grieving widow, then joyfully considers her adopted daughter as a daughter-in-law, then moved to anger at her own son for having wrong Helena, and descending to scorn when she realizes how terribly he has debased himself and his legacy, and finally dissolving into a burst of gratitude when, against all odds, he is redeemed. Thanks to Maxwell's stunning work, the depth and nature of emotions throughout the play can be measured through the Countess."
—Talking Broadway
Shakespeare in Love
"Melissa Maxwell is superb in two roles: as Queen Elizabeth, staunch and regal, though not above a cut of low humor, and as the nurse to Viola, frantically trying to protect her mistress from impending scandal."
—TalkinBroadway.com
" Indeed, one of my favorite aspects of this play is the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth played beautifully by Melissa Maxwell. " —Bric-A-Brac
The Tragedy of Richard III
"...the one-actor performance by Melissa Maxwell is a singularly brilliant tour de force.... Some theatre experiences are unforgettable and Maxwell's performance in NO CHILD is firmly in this category."
—Broadwayworld.com
"The real reason to go to this play is not to hear the well-worn message, but rather to experience the acting talent of Maxwell. It is something you don’t see every day."
—Winona Post
"Melissa deftly transforms herself from the old janitor to the teaching artist to an inexperienced teacher to a half dozen very different teenagers. It's spell-binding to watch her tell this story and infuse each character with distinct life and personality." —Cherry and Spoon
"No Child ... performed by the amazing Melissa Maxwell ....A gorgeous tour-de-force of an evocative and sometimes heartbreaking work." —Minnesota Theater Lover
