School of Theatre and Dance alumni shine at the Bridgeport Film Festival.
School of Theatre and Dance alumni, Chris Richards ’09 and Aaron Schoonover ’11, will be featured in the 2024 Bridgeport Film Festival in Bridgeport, CT. The festival will take place September 13-15.
Richards stars in two films, “Higher Lows” by Kent Belle and “Spray Away” by Pete Capo. “Higher Lows” is an indie short film about an estate mover, played by Richards, who has a compulsive gambling problem and discovers one of his seedy investments has ties to a corporation and a missing artist. “Spray Away” follows Burt, played by Richards, an unlucky man whose problems disappear when he gets a bottle of “Spray Away.” That is, until he becomes a lead suspect in multiple disappearances.
“The [Kent State University Theatre] program equipped me with a solid understanding of a variety of performance techniques, the significance of making strong acting choices, and the importance of being able to work with different personalities —skills that are vital in the film industry,” said Richards. “The training in musical theatre and specifically through the Roe Green Guest Director program honed my ability to convey truth in storytelling regardless of the medium and connect with an audience, which I think has been invaluable to my work on screen."
After Graduating in 2009, Richards pursued a professional acting career in the Cleveland area, eventually moving to New York. He has been cast in numerous productions at several significant Off-Broadway and regional theatres, including the Tony-Award-Winning Cleveland Play House and Pearl Theatre Company in New York City. He has also been fortunate to act opposite of many actors, including Emmy-Award-Winner Maile Flanagan and Marvel superstar Tom Holland.
Schoonover, ’11, co-wrote and directed the short film “Hey Dad,” also featured in the Bridgeport Film Festival. The short film is a fast-paced, semi-autobiographical exploration a young man's thoughts as he processes the loss of his father. The short film has been screened at other festivals including, Dances with Films in Los Angeles, and will screen next month at the San Diego International Film Festival.
Schoonover attended the Bridgeport Film Festival in 2023 where his short film “Rabbit Hole” took home the Audience Award and Best Ensemble Cast Award. “Rabbit Hole” follows a shy eighteen-year-old who attempts to balance “coming out” of his shell with an erratic home life and an unhinged QAnon mother. The short film starred current Kent State musical theater senior Nate Frison.
“I majored in musical theater back in the day, and while I loved my experience, it was extremely apparent to me when I moved to New York City after graduating that I was more interested in television and film,” said Schoonover. “For those of us who can't see ourselves in "normal" jobs it's nice to have the creative freedom that an arts school like Kent State University provides. There are things I learned as a performer that easily translate to being behind the camera, and specifically having the acting background allows me to connect with and direct actors efficiently.”
Schoonover is a filmmaker and casting director based in NY/LA. His casting credits include “City on Fire” (Apple TV) and “The Tender Bar” (Amazon), 'The Unheard' (Shudder) and The Seeding (Tribeca '23). For 5 years he worked as a senior casting director on “Orange Is the New Black” for Central Casting. In 2018, he began principal casting and worked as an assistant to Jen Euston. This led to other projects such as, working with Bess Fifer on the Apple series “Severance.” Since then, Schoonover has been serving as a longtime associate to casting director Bess Fifer on the Emmy-nominated series 'Severance' (Apple TV).
I'm so thankful that I was able to make trusted and valued friendships at Kent State and that upon moving to NYC in 2011 I had a group of people I was able to surround myself with,” remarked Schoonover. “Being part of a strong community at Kent allows me to bring that energy onto new sets and projects.” Richards recalled his experience networking with fellow alumni, “The community at Kent State was incredibly supportive, and it’s wonderful to see how those connections have persisted over time. Prime example being how Aaron and I--both from the same program!--are now showcasing our films at the Bridgeport Film Festival and love to support each other as friends and colleagues. It’s a testament to the strong bonds we formed in the Kent State University Theatre program that have followed us into our professional lives." The alumni are looking forward to being back at Bridgeport this year with fellow Kent State alumni Brian Crowley.
About The Bridgeport Film Festival
The Bridgeport Film Fest is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to the discovery, championing and development of independent filmmakers and audiences.
Through various programming the festival seeks to showcase, guide and inspire independent film and theatre artists from the Bridgeport community and beyond. Local audiences will be enriched by the films, workshops, panels discussions and other forms of artistic expression curated by the festival team and will ensure the promotion of Downtown Bridgeport to continue to thrive as a cultural artistic center.
Images: Banner: Chris Richards in "Higher Lows" by Kent Belle and Aaron Schoonover directing for "Hey Dad."