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Michael Costello, M.F.A.
Michael (mc37@txstate.edu) is Head of Acting and an Associate Professor. He joined the faculty at Texas State University in 2001 having previously taught graduate acting at the Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and in the FSU graduate Film Conservatory. In addition, he has taught at the University of Texas-Austin, Virginia Commonwealth University, and St. Edwards University.
Michael teaches the first year of BFA acting, which focuses on physical acting. The first semester of training is in Physicalizations, a physical acting approach Michael developed and teaches at acting studios around the country, as well as Viewpoints and Laban. The second semester of BFA training is Lecoq based, including mime, mask, commedia, clown work, and devising new comic material. In addition, he teaches Acting Realism, Acting Styles and, in the Masters program, Advanced Directing.
Still a working professional, Michael has acted in over 30 films and television shows. Most notably, Michael was a series regular on the NBC series seaQuest, playing Secretary General McGath for 2 seasons, and starred in the PBS series The Real Adventures of Sherlock Jones and Proctor Watson. Most recently Micahel finished work on the HBO film Temple Grandin opposite Claire Danes, and has been seen in Friday Night Lights on NBC.
On stage, Michael has had a distinguished career as an actor, performing in a variety of works from Shakespeare to Beckett, from Simon to Wilde in New York and regional theatres. Some of the roles from the last couple of years include Lear in King Lear and Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing at Texas State, The Ghost/First Player/Player King in Hamlet at Austin Shakespeare, and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman as a guest Equity artist at St. Edwards' University.
At Texas State, Michael has directed The Caucasian Chalk Circle, which was selected to perform at the KCACTF Regional Festival and subsequently was nominated for the KCACTF National Festival at the Kennedy Center. He has also directed The Night of the Iguana, The Rover, The Learned Ladies, Metamorphoses, the musical Chicago, and Death of a Salesman with Larry Hovis (Hogan’s Heroes) as Willy Loman. An award winning director, Michael has directed a wide variety of plays, including productions of All's Well That Ends Well, Romeo & Juliet, Equus (starring David Birney), The Cherry Orchard, Twelfth Night, A View from the Bridge, Our Country's Good, Tartuffe, The Homecoming, Hedda Gabbler, and Fool for Love, to name a few.
Michael earned his MFA Degree in directing from Southern Methodist University, and a BFA Degree in acting from Virginia Commonwealth University.