Benard Cummings

Benard Cummings, Associate Professor of Theatre, teaches acting in the Division of Theatre.
Though trained as an actor, he is also a director.
Professional directing productions include: “Normalcy” by Bennett Windheim and “
Harvest” by Dr. David Crawford (Off Broadway for Theatre East);
as well as “The Woman Standing on the Moon” by James Haigney for Primary Stages Off Broadway.
In the D/FW area he has directed “Radio Golf,” by August Wilson for The African-American Repertory Theatre, and “Split Second” at Jubilee Theatre in Ft. Worth.
He has directed many productions for colleges and universities.
Some productions include: “Dark of the Moon,” “Durang/Durang,” “American Blues: One-Acts by Tennessee Williams,” and “Flying West” at SUNY Purchase in NY.
“As You Like It” and “Spinning into Butter for Stella Adler/NYU.
At SMU he has directed, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Hot L Baltimore,” “Look Homeward, Angel,” and “The Rimers of Eldritch.”
As an actor, he’s performed Off Broadway in “Eye of God” by Tim Blake Nelson (for Theatre East); “Willie’s Cut and Shine” by Michael Bradford for The Lark Theatre.
Regional Theatre credits include Yale Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, The Goodman Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, The Shakespeare Theatre of D.C., The Philadelphia Theatre Company and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.  He is a staff member of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.  He has also taught (and continues to teach) the summer apprentice company for The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Favorite roles at STNJ include: Prospero in “The Tempest,” Ariel in “The Tempest, Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Gower in “Pericles.”
Benard has also delved into playwrighting.
His plays have been produced in New York (Women’s Tapestry Project; The Lark Theatre); Los Angeles (Michael Fine Studios) Chicago (ETA Creative Arts Theatre); London, England (Twice as Loud Theatre Company); Jubilee Theatre of Ft. Worth; and in the Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville.
He has also appeared on episodic television shows.  Recently, he was the Interim Artistic Director of Jubilee Theatre in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Benard is also the Texas (Dallas) Regional Coordinator for the National August Wilson Monologue Competition.