OPEN YOUR EYES
PHYSICAL THEATER CREATOR
MARC FROST
WHAT’S HAPPENING
13th Edition: June 1-7, 2026
Come celebrate international, national, and local contemporary, visual, and physical theater artists and companies in Chicago!
Tickets for Physical Theater Festival are on sale.
In the works: a new one person work based on the remarkable life of Marcel Marceau, follow him from Jewish boy inspired by Chaplin, to WWII hero, to world phenomenon as the silent Bip whose influence lives on.
Debuts in 2026!
MARCEAU PROJECT
INNOVATOR
I’m passionate about physical theater and creating new pathways for artful expression. My goal is to spark transformation in deeply inspiring spaces that feel both safe and playfully provocative.
Artistic Director | Producer | Educator | Coach | Performer
CREATING PHYSICAL THEATER
DIRECTING SHOWS, ENSEMBLES,
& THEATER COMPANIES
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Some stay for a moment, some for years. Sometimes the sandbox travels across the country, performing for thousands, especially young audiences. Other times, it’s a more intimate, personal exploration—just me and the work itself.
No matter the scale, artistic direction requires passion, heart, and a deep belief in ensemble storytelling. After a decade directing a large touring company, I’ve shifted toward smaller, more personal projects while still guiding a mid-size group on select national tours.
Beyond creating and producing, I act as a connector—keeping our physical theater community thriving through conversations, collaborations, and shared opportunities. Whether in rehearsal, over coffee, or through an email update, I’m always building bridges within this ever-evolving ensemble world.
PRODUCING INNOVATIVE PHYSICAL THEATER EXPERIENCES
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Most often, this impulse takes shape through my work as Executive Director of the Physical Theater Festival in Chicago, which I curate with my wife and collaborator, Alice da Cunha. Together, we select remarkable shows from across the world and thoughtfully connect them with local audiences who will benefit most from experiencing them.
As producers, we nurture with care—treating artists and partners with respect and transparency while championing new voices. Through initiatives like Scratch Night and Being Made in Chicago, we help local emerging artists develop and share their work-in-progress pieces.
Whether in Chicago or elsewhere, I’ve learned that producing isn’t just about shows — it’s about impact, community, and, as Daryl Roth said, “what we have given the world.”
TRAINING AND MENTORING THEATER ARTISTS
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Whether in a university course or a professional studio, my mission stays the same—to share tools, nurture curiosity, and help students uncover their own theatrical language. Once trust is built, we dive into playfulness, presence, and vulnerability, exploring what it truly means to be alive on stage.
I believe each student arrives at their own moment in their artistic journey, and my job is to meet them there—then gently (or sometimes boldly) nudge them further. Teaching, for me, is equal parts guidance and provocation. I am, after all, a teacher, an artist . . . and a proud provocateur.
COACHING ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND COMPANIES TO MAXIMIZE PHYSICALITY ONSTAGE
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My goal is to coach artists to inject expressive physicality, comedic relief, and genuine pathos where it serves the story, while also elevating movement choices that bring out the full expression of the work.
I challenge performers and companies to think beyond just speaking the text. If the performance is just words, it’s a stunted, partial realization of the work. I aim for a fully embodied performance that takes full advantage of the live performance experience. For productions, I help shape sustainable movement practices and rehearsal approaches that balance bold physical storytelling with clarity, safety, and longevity.
Together we'll dig deeply into the intention behind the movement—helping both performers and ensembles discover how physical choices reveal purpose, relationships, and momentum onstage. It really is a journey into enchantment.
My perspective comes from years of devising and performing in both Chicago’s small to mid-size theater community and at international venues. I’ve focused on building practices that leave lasting impact on performers and audiences alike. I also teach movement-based performance and artistic leadership at the university level. If you want a curious collaborator who offers a brave space for honest, constructive encouragement and pushback, let’s grab coffee!
DEVISING AND PERFORMING SOLO SHOWS
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As a performer, I’m part provocateur, part trickster, and part vessel—inviting stories, characters, and emotions to move through me and reach the audience in unexpected ways.
When a show finally settles in my body, I get to focus on the sheer joy of it—executing, responding, and letting the performance take flight. The ideal audience? People who are open to laughter, curiosity, and feeling—who come willing to see, listen, and maybe leave changed.
What I hope my audience takes away is the thrill of raw, dynamic live expression—a sense of connection that reminds us how theater can shift our perspective, expand our empathy, and make the familiar suddenly feel brand new.
MEDIA
Select highlights featuring performances from national tours with Theater Unspeakable and my solo performances.
Theater Unspeakable in “The American Revolution” at Adventure Stage Chicago
Get Schedule for the National Tour
Theater Unspeakable’s “What We Do”
featuring artistic director Marc Frost
View Theater Unspeakable’s Website
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I grew up in the Chicago suburbs during the Michael Jordan glory days of the ’90s—playing sports, staying curious, and learning about teamwork, practice, and dedication. The sport itself came easily.
Eventually, my love for athletics led me somewhere unexpected: the world of theater. The language changed—“teamwork” became “ensemble,” “practice” turned into “rehearsal”—but the heart of it felt the same. Both worlds are about showing up, collaborating, and striving to be better together.
The big difference for me was that sports are often about winning and losing; theater invites us to explore who we are and how we connect. It asks questions instead of keeping score. That shift hooked me completely.
Grad school took me to London and the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA), where fifty students from around the world—speaking fifteen different languages—shared a passion for performance.
And there I hit a wall. Somehow I wasn't getting it like I used to. Everything I did seemed wrong. And every Friday, I'd board the tube home and feel utterly lost.
One weekend, a classmate invited me to try a weekend workshop in mime. I loved it. The precision, the accuracy, the certitude. The whole day, a seasoned teacher is telling us “yes” or “no” repeatedly. Slowly, I come to see the purpose behind the frustration at school. I’m not getting it “wrong”. On the contrary, I’m finding my way, living into the unknown. I'm journeying towards something I can’t even see yet--coming to know myself as an artist. The frustration is itself the path.
I knew on that day: this physical theater world is my home.
That experience changed everything. It’s where I discovered the physical theater style that would later shape my teaching and company work. (And met my wife Alice!)
Most importantly, London helped me uncover my purpose: to open people to new ways of imagining, creating, and experiencing theater.
Since returning to Chicago, the journey has continued. I created Theater Unspeakable as a platform for devising new physical theater projects. For over a decade, we've been able to develop original pieces and tour them around the country to thousands of young audiences.
I worked for several years with Italian master teacher Paola Coletto to develop The School for Theater Creators. Together, we taught many short-form workshops in Chicago until finally we opened a full-time physical theater school. I learned so much from Paola’s unique approach to personalized education, which helped me develop my own style in the classroom.
And my wife Alice and I have teamed up to create Physical Theater Festival Chicago celebrating physical theater from around the world. The Festival lifts up the profile of local physical theater artists and nurtures a community around this work by hosting an annual summer festival.
In all of this work I'm challenged again and again to open my eyes afresh to new ways of imagining theater.
I invite you to open your eyes as well.
MY STORY
Are you a theater or venue interested in serving up a hot helping of physical theater to the community?
Are you an actor, clown, or performing artist yearning to develop your physical theater skills?
Are you a director, producer, or artistic director looking to connect or collaborate?
Just want to connect?
CONNECTOR
From the rehearsal room to the email list, I connect artists and ensembles across the world to showcase our thriving physical theater community. From local to national stages, I connect groundbreaking performances to new audiences.
In 2010, I created Theater Unspeakable as a platform for devising new physical theater projects. Based in Chicago, we have performed in venues such as: The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Education, Pal Alto Children’s Theatre, Adventure Stage Chicago and Chicago Children’s Theatre.
Alice de Cunha and I founded Physical Theater Festival Chicago to bring to our city audience-beloved, virtuosic live performances from around the world that inspire theatergoers and local artists to reimagine what a live theater experience can be and do across cultures, languages, and genres.
