What Is Actors Bridge?

We are a training program for new and seasoned actors.  
We are an incubator for new theatrical works.  
We are a theatre company dedicated to evocative performance.

We are a group of artists committed to the ensemble principle. The person you see on stage in one show you will likely see behind the light board in the next. The person selling tickets may also be a budding new playwright. Your usher is likely an aspiring actor.

Our mission is to tell the stories that impact our community by producing provocative and socially relevant theatre, creating new theatrical works, showcasing emotionally authentic ensemble acting and fostering a nurturing environment where theatre artists at any stage in their development may train and assist in the production of professional theatre.

Actors Bridge has been a force on Nashville's cultural landscape for over 12 years. We train a growing number of actors who go on to perform on local, regional and national stages as well as film and television. Having touched over 2,000 students, there are few local productions that do not include a performer in some way influenced by Actors Bridge training.

As a professional theatre company, Actors Bridge Ensemble remains committed to bringing new and evocative theater to the Nashville community with over 50 plays produced, including 12 world premieres and 30 Nashville premieres. Our commitment to excellence has garnered Actors Bridge a strong reputation as a company committed to boldness and grounded in high performance standards.  Our approach to acting is to strip bare, shed anything extraneous and false as we use our own unique points of view to fully inhabit the reality of the moment.

We believe in the ensemble approach to creating theatre. We define “ensemble” as a group of artists setting aside individual ego to work toward the collective goals of the company, functioning in multiple capacities onstage, backstage and offstage..  We are interested in working with artists who want to be part of an ongoing company community and who are committed to collaborating in all aspects of production.  

Our leadership team includes Vali Forrister, Bill Feehely, Rachel Agee, Don Griffiths, Jessika Malone and Olga Griffiths.