About Me

Hey there! This is me: Will Manning.

My career started in the small Ozark town of Fair Grove, MO, where I grew up in a turn of the century hotel turned family home. My parents are both writers and local historians who were on the forefront of creating the historical society of my town, which involved me and my bother and sister in reenactments of turn of the century farming and homesteading techniques. My first official play was The Wizard of Oz, which we performed as a full production for kindergarten graduation. I was the cowardly lion, a role which I revived in eighth grade with the same music director.

I left Fair Grove for College of the Ozarks in Branson, MO, where I sort of obtained a BA in theater. Officially, I was kicked out during my senior year for having a 12 pack of Pabst in my hotel room on our trip to ACTF regional’. I consider this an important part of my training.

Before grad school at University of Missouri, Kansas City, I spent some time in Chicago developing my improv skills with the Free Associates at the Ivanhoe Theater. During my time at UMKC, where I obtained my MFA without getting kicked out (thought I came close), I learned how to play with swords, speak iambic pentameter and made friends with some of the best people and artists I still know today. They became my chosen family. I also did a lot of great shows, including understudying The Philadelphia Story at Kansas City Rep.

After grad school, I moved to an apartment Washington Heights with some of my grad school buddies and am the last remaining survivor in that same apartment fifteen years later. Since being in NY, Irsquo;ve worked with so many wonderful companies and people. Irsquo;m proud to say I won an Outstanding Actor Award in the NY Fringe for my performances in Revolution on the Roof: A 60’ Anti-War Musical and Choke City. For over ten years I’ve worked with the NYU Department of Dramatic Writing, developing student work alongside great script writing minds like Suzan-Lori Parks, Gary Garrison, Electric Black, Charlie Rubin, Adrienne Thompson, Stephen Cedars and Lucy Thurber. I’ve also acquired some of very best NYC friends/collaborators from working within that program.

If you keep your eyes open around midtown, you might catch me using my improv skills on a few NYC tour buses. If you keep your eyes open in Washington Heights, you might catch me using my improv skills walking my two bad ass dachshund mutts. See PHOTOS for that visual.

Thanks for stopping by! Catch you soon!