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Erin Spears Ledford is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist based in New York City with over 20 years of experience shaping stories for the stage. A versatile collaborator, Erin brings a holistic perspective to every project, moving seamlessly between the spotlight and the wings as an actor, director, teaching artist, and costume/ makeup designer. With a career spanning two decades in the heart of the industry, Erin has developed a signature style that balances technical precision with a deep commitment to the community. Erin’s work is rooted in the belief that theatre is a powerful tool for connection. For Erin, the arts are a mission-driven tool where she can utilize her extensive performance and education background to foster an environment of inclusivity, advocacy, and collective action, ensuring that theatre remains a powerful space for both personal growth and civic engagement.
MY PHILOSPHY
Great theatre inspires global citizenship
From the "Golden Era" of Broadway, to high-energy pop-rock musicals, to mission driven original works, Erin's directorial style dives deep into the heart of the narrative to find universal truths. She strives to create a bridge between the stage and the seats, encouraging audiences to find commonalities with characters that transcend cultural boundaries and spark productive community conversations.
Erin’s diverse body of work spans genres and eras, shifting from classics like Kiss Me, Kate, to irreverent film-to-stage favorites like Little Shop of Horrors, Footloose, and The Wedding Singer, to modern, genre-bending history based pieces like Alice by Heart. She recently served as the Associate Director, alongside Director Bryan Knowlton, for Chryssie Whitehead's acclaimed one-woman show, In My Own Little Corner. This powerful piece on mental health awareness has since expanded into both a live-capture film and a companion documentary chronicling its creative evolution—a project that proudly features Erin and highlights her multi-faceted artistry.
"All of the principals have their motivations, and director Erin Spears Ledford has used those needs subliminally to make the show a more dynamic examination of love’s complications when other needs are paramount. It works. These well-defined characters live out their conflicts, both external and internal, on the stage and stop the show with their songs while they do it...
It is another triumph for Mac-Haydn"
- J. Peter Bergman, The Berkshire Edge
Kiss Me Kate, Mac- Haydn Theatre
Director
MY STYLE
Big belt, Big brains, Big heart
Erin is a versatile powerhouse performer who transitions seamlessly from high- camp comedy to deep drama. Whether she’s commanding the stage as a bold, brassy broad with a big belt, twirling across the stage into the arms of a swooning suitor, or finding stillness in a grounded human moment, Erin delivers performances that stick with you long after the curtain falls.
Erin’s career as an actor has taken her to premier regional stages across the United States. Notable credits include appearing as Nancy (u/s) and Mrs. Sowerberry in the National Tour of Oliver!, Alice in The Addams Family, Vicki in The Full Monty, and Rosie in Mamma Mia! Her performance as Ilona in She Loves Me earned her a 2021 Berkshire Theatre Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
"Erin Spears Ledford provides the requisite comic relief as Ilona Ritter (She Loves Me) adeptly combing comedy with charm and a certain poignancy... with a personal declaration of independence in “I resolve”, Ledford delivers a strong, strident, determined and perfectly clear message to the cad (Kodaly)"
- Lisa Jarisch, Berkshire On Stage
Actor
MY MISSION
To create arts education that fosters empathy and bold imagination
"As an educator I seek to create innovative arts programming that enables students to develop a deeper connection to their own creativity and personal voice. Through the power of artistic storytelling students gain awareness and compassion for ways of life beyond their own everyday experiences. This encourages them to expand their worldview and dream big. My goal is to provide a supportive space where young artists can use their imagination to bridge cultural divides, leaving the classroom with the confidence to advocate for their ideas and engage meaningfully with their community."
~Erin Spears Ledford
With over a decade of experience in NYC arts education, Erin has collaborated with esteemed organizations such as Inside Broadway, Camp Broadway, and The Jimmy Awards (The National High School Musical Theatre Awards.) In 2026 Erin was brought on as the theatre director at The Calhoun School in Manhattan where she helmed the Middle School production of The Little Mermaid Jr. and the Upper School production of Alice by Heart. Erin recently spearheaded the inaugural After-School Master Class Program at The Mac-Haydn Theatre, now embarking on its third season, further solidifying her commitment to the next generation of artists.
Educator
My Artistic Roots
1/4
Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Erin was immersed in a vibrant arts culture. Supported by a family that viewed the performing arts as a vital and viable career path, she began diversifying her skills from a young age. Her early training was shaped by a powerhouse of mentors, including acting coaches Kay Bosse (The Human Race Theatre Company) and Pat Thomlinson (Rosewood Arts Center), and vocal coach Joey Bates at Wright State University. She refined her dance technique under Barbara Pontecorvo (Pontecorvo Ballet Studio.) Erin found a transformative artistic home in Muse Machine, the acclaimed youth arts organization founded by Susy Bassani. It was there that Erin met her pivotal mentor, Nat Horne—an original Alvin Ailey dancer and Broadway veteran recently honored by the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library—who deeply influenced her trajectory as both a director and dancer.
Let's create art together!
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