Check Out Adam Seeholzer’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Seeholzer.

Hi Adam, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, my way of life had nothing to do with acting, directing, or any type of theatre/film. Not until as an undergrad at Cleveland State Univ. (CSU) where, on a whim, as a janitor majoring in engineering I came upon an improv class flyer. The calling to be a performer was loud and clear, and I answered that call changing majors to theatre to study as an actor and technician.
While at CSU, I was also able to work for a professional theatre company, Cleveland PUBLIC Theatre (CPT), as both a devised physical theatre actor and education creator/director. Through fifteen years of commitment with CPT, I eventually came to be the director of three education programs ( a program with men recovering from homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health issues creating an original play based on their lives and stories; a rigorous outdoor theatre program for Cleveland teens creating an original adaptation toured from city park to city park, and a program creating original plays by refugee/immigrant teens living in Cleveland). On stage, I mastered the art of physical theatre, devised creation, and worked with many scripted pieces as well.
In 2020, I moved to Chicago, Illinois in pursuit of new endeavors as an actor. During the pandemic shutdown, I graduated from Chicago’s Second City Acting Conservatory and was accepted into Louisiana State Univ.’s (LSU) Acting MFA Program.
It was at LSU, that I met Sonya Cooke, owner of The Actors Studio of Orange County (ASOOC). The day after graduating from LSU in 2023, I immediately moved to Los Angeles as a hired Acting Instructor for ASOOC in Santa Ana. Today, I am proudly a two-year resident of L.A. living the actor’s life of auditioning while continuing my career as a creator and director. Along the way I was lucky to meet and work closely with Moises Kaufman and Leigh Fondakowski of Tectonic Theatre. As a certified Moment Work instructor/artist, I am excited to find opportunities to create, teach, act, and direct as a devised artist in Southern California. Currently, I am keeping my acting tools fresh and sharp by attending scene study class weekly at the amazing and ultimate professional “Robert D’Avanzo Studio” in North Hollywood.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Haha, a smooth road? No… well, there have been smooth stretches, but overall, I would describe the road as a dirt path that had not been traveled heavily by fellow travelers. Living in my fourth city and state since 2020 has its own toll on life, let alone the growing pains of grad school, the reset of an acting career in a new town, and the ebb and flow of personal relationships as distance and time has presented many “potholes” and “off-road” excursions along the way.
To be more specific on career struggles, I would say that learning how to lead through failures is tough. It’s one thing to be an actor, student, or participant and suffer the consequences of mistakes, but to have others suffer the consequences of mistakes when in a leadership position is definitely a rough road to travel.
But all of that to say, I have and am very lucky to have met and worked with so many legends and amazing people over my career. From the most talented actor in Cleveland, Ohio, Chris Seibert, to colleagues and friends in Chicago, and now working with burgeoning new actors at the ASOOC, I have and had so many more smooth paths, and exciting hills than potholes and dead ends.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a career theatre actor, director, creator, and now also exploring the film/tv world. I specialize in physical performance and improvisational acting. In Cleveland, I was known for raw exciting physical work on stage mixed with an everyman persona. My greatest strength was my fortitude and ability to bring my city/blue-collar upbringing to the work, both in my acting and direction. As an instructor, I am known for my passion and tenacity in the room. I refuse to give up on anyone in the room. I know and have witnessed the power of theatre/acting to transform people’s lives. Anyone of us can be a talented and successful artist of any medium we choose, so long as we do it over and over and over again while making it personal and meaningful to us.
I use self-deprecating humor often, but I will say there is much to be proud of over these past twenty years. Recalling my work with the men in the Y-Haven Theatre Project (the men in recovery) brings back my fondest memories. The amount of raw talent in that room year after year was astounding. We would laugh so hard at stories and scenes that in some cases were never even used or seen again. I was so proud of the friendship and bond I had with my co-directors and friends Leonard Goff, Darius Stubbs, and Chris Seibert at CPT. The friendships made at Second City in Chicago, the unbreakable bond with my fellow LSU MFA cohort members. Proud of the 30 hours of driving my friend and ASOOC co-worker, Carolina Queiroz Couto and I traversed to show up on the door-step of Southern California two years ago. As a kid I was always in trouble at school, getting high to pass time and had this “aimless Cleveland kid” attitude. To be here in my situation is really a shock and deep feeling of luck and accomplishment.
And that’s what sets us all apart from others. The fact that we, that I, have my own story, my own memories, a shared life with my three siblings, my own childhood stories, my own unique and unconventional career path, that is what sets me apart from others. It’s what sets us all apart from each other and the very thing that brings us together. The commonality of our human experience and struggle is what brings us to create, watch, and experience art. Sharing and living out stories for others to experience is to me such a special gift to offer others. Vulnerability and the willingness to go a deep place of emotional and imaginative truth is a such an invaluable gift an actor offers the audience.

What matters most to you?
Today, honesty matters most. For where I was, am and want to be in my personal life, honesty is the key to success and progression. That of course translates to the work as an actor and instructor. I need to be honest, fully honest, in order to perform at the highest level. When a room full actors are working together, honesty takes many forms. There is the honesty of the moment for the characters being portrayed, there is the honesty of the feedback and direction from the leader, and there is the honesty between the people in the room collaborating to create. Honesty is the basis of respect and support. To be in a room of people respecting and supporting each other is such an invigorating and exciting place to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.asooc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adam_seez/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamseez

Image Credits
cleveland PUBLIC theatre, Steve Wagner, Cameron Radice