H. Russ is an SAFD Fight Director / Certified Teacher currently serving as Head of Theatre / Artistic Director for the College of the Mainland Theatre Program in Texas City, TX. His areas of expertise include Acting, Musical Theatre, Playwriting, Voice/Dialects, Movement & Stage Combat.

H. Russ began his career as a fight director over 25 years ago in his native Texas. He has worked professionally in the theatre as an actor, director, set designer, vocal/movement coach, fight director and nationally award-winning playwright. H. Russ has choreographed violence for over 80 productions and his fight work has been seen from New York to California and back again.

As a playwright, H. Russ Brown has written dozens of plays and has had many produced in theatres across the country. In 2002, he was awarded the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts New Visions/New Voices award for his musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic short story, THE SELFISH GIANT. In 2005, he was awarded the Kennedy Center ACTF/NST Fellowship for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Playwriting for his comedy, STUD DUCKS & HORNY TOADS.

As a performer, his favorite roles include Sweeney Todd, Jekyll/Hyde, Old Buks in Valley Song, Michael in I Do! I Do! and Hotspur in Henry IV, Part I.

H. Russ has taught/guest lectured at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, Illinois State University, North Carolina School of the Arts, Ball State University, Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, Prairie State College, College of Lake County, Lon Morris College, Nicolet College, Spoon River College and Western Illinois University. He holds a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University and an M.F.A. degree in Acting from Western Illinois University.

His greatest source of pride, however, is his beautiful wife, Elizabeth, and his amazing kids, Grant and Auben.

“Love is my Sword, Faith is my Armor & Humor is my Shield.”