A year filled with graditude

We wish you a blessed Christmas!

I've been reflecting on the Lord's goodness this year, which marks my 20th without income from anything but the performing arts and applied theatre. I'm really overwhelmed to think of all He's done in and through us this year. I had opportunities to perform and/or teach in 17 states, London and Northern Ireland, performed in two audio dramas, five films, celebrated three theatrical releases and six DVD* releases for films in which I've performed. Many of those projects proclaim the wonder of God's great Gift to mankind in the birth, life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Playing Mitchell Little in Providence.

To top it all off Providence, in which I play one of the leads, has been selected by AMC Independent, for a nationwide theatrical release in select cities starting February 12, and Times Square is where one of those theatres is located! The producers are also arranging for theatrical-on-demand screenings in cities where AMC doesn't have a presence. Please take a moment to visit www.RichDrama.com/Providence and follow the link to their Facebook event and let them know your home town.

Here are a few of the other highlights from the year:

February • Played Jeeves the Butler in Renting to Parakletos.

Committing Lifestone Velocity to the glory 
of God. Left to right: Jim Goodwin, 
Daniel Knudsen, Rich Swingle, Beth Becka, 
acting coach on War Room.

March
• Confessions of a Prodigal Son released on DVD.* Played a homeless man.
• The new www.GraceworksInc.com is launched. Rich has been a Freedom Finder for Graceworks since 2001.
• Interviewed by Sharon Wilharm for FaithFlix. She later cast me in Providence.
• Taught at the Christian Worldview Film Festival Guild.
• Played Dr. Alistair Walker in Lifestone Velocity in a scene filmed for a class at the Christian Worldview Film Festival Guild.
• Performed "Sheepish" at the Christian Worldview Film Festival.
• Co-lead annual Graceworks workshop at Princeton University.
• Performed Beyond the Chariots for Alistair Begg's church.


April
• Beyond the Mask released through theatrical-on-demand model. Played Dr. Bonneville.
• Played Mitchell Little, a lead, in Providence.
• Performed Journey to the Garden for Biola University's Easter Chapel.

Portraying Harmon Schmelzenbach in
Mkulunqanda: The Great Beginner

May
• Played Jesus in The Messenger's Box.
• Recorded Additional Digital Recordings for The Screenwriters.
• Performed a new short piece on Harmon Schmelzenbach, one of the first Nazarene missionaries to Swaziland, at the New York Metro District Assembly.
• Nominated for Best Actor at The Aletheia Fellowship of the Arts Truth Awards for playing Micah Maslow in The Unexpected Bar Mitzvah.
• Taught and coached Week 1 at The Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.

Playing Dr. Bonneville in
Beyond the Mask

June
• Beyond the Mask national theatrical release.
• Polycarp released on DVD.* Play a slave trader.
• Taught and coached Week 2 at The Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp.
• Performed in a yet-to-be-announced documentary.

July
• Performed four voices in The Dragon and the Raven in London.
• Performed "Lazarus" in a sheep field in Northern Ireland.
• Alone Yet Not Alone released on DVD.* Played a land speculator.

Playing Nigel Livengood in
Princess Cut

August
• Princess Cut released in theaters. Played Nigel Livengood.
• Taught and directed at the Salvation Army TAM Conservatory. Princess Cut screened for Conservatory.
• Performed Big Fish Little Worm for Joni and Friends.
• Interviewed on The Dove.

September
• Beyond the Mask released on DVD.*

October
• Performed A Clear Leading, about John Woolman, at the Woolman Memorial Centennial.
• AMC Independent picked up Providence for a limited national theatrical release starting February 12.

November
• Played Mr. Cole in "The Staying Kind."
• Princess Cut released on DVD.*
• The Messenger's Box released on DVD.*
• Rich and Joyce attend the premiere of Providence in Franklin, TN.

Performed with John Rhys-Davies

on The Dragon and the Raven

December
• The Dragon and the Raven released on CD*
• AMC Empire 25 on Times Square chosen as one of the theatres to host Providence.
• Rich interviewed by Nigerian Israel Eziedo.
• Reviews of Providence begin.

We're so grateful to all who have prayed for this ministry over the past two decades, and we're tremendously grateful for prayers moving forward. In 2016 besides the February 12 release of Providence we're excited about our trip to Rio for the Summer Olympics.

*The CD and DVD releases are also available in other forms, such as Blu-ray and Digital Download. Even if you've seen the films I've mentioned, they make great stocking stuffers. If you want to see more films with a Christian worldview, please support films made by Christians.

Registration is now open for the 2016 Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. Also, we're now taking sign-ups for Rio Ready.

SOME OF THE BIGGEST NEWS OF MY CAREER!!!

I play one of the leads in the upcoming film Providence, and the filmmakers are on the verge of making a VERY exciting announcement, which will be some of the biggest news of my career so far! They're holding back on announcing it publicly until we get 3,000 Likes on our Facebook page, so please Like away: www.Facebook.com/ProvidenceTheMovie.

Thanks so much!

It's a charming modern silent film we're also calling a feature-length music video from the makers of the silent film, The Good Book, which has been nominated for 21 awards, and has won over half of those. I play the adult version of Mitchell Little, who has known Rachel Cartwright most of his life. Circumstances and shyness have kept them apart, but the Lord reunites them in His timing.

It will premiere in Franklin, TN, on November 8. If you're between NYC and Nashville we're trying to set up bookings of my one-man plays and workshops to cover costs of getting there and back again, so send your pastor or chaplain to www.RichDrama.com.

We hope to share the big news soon...

Princess Cut Coming to Theaters Nationwide

For about twenty years I've wanted to be a part of a project that tells the power of purity in building a fantastic marriage. Fall of 2013 that prayer was answered when I was cast in Princess Cut.

Joyce and I got to see three rough cuts of the film at various stages, and and then I saw it at the 2015 Christian Worldview Film Festival, where it took Runner Up for Best Feature and Runner Up for Audience Choice.

Tonight it's having its sold out world premiere in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Like their Facebook page to see photos from the red carpet.

Then it's coming to theaters starting August 4. Visit www.PrincessCutMovie.com/theaters to see if it's playing near you, and if it isn't go to www.PrincessCutMovie.com/get-tickets to arrange for it to be screened in your community.

I performed the role of Nigel Livengood, a suave realtor. It was filmed in the Winston-Salem area. Principle photography was originally slated for earlier in the year, but the Lord's timing brought gorgeous fall foliage to enhance the already beautiful backdrop. It's a fabulous, moving and important film!

In the article "Princess Cut Heads Into Post-Production" in Christian Film, Jenn Gotzon calls this team “The most excellent production crew I have ever worked with on a faith-based film. In the production, in the coordination, in the communication, in all the pre-development, to on set through all the departments, they ran as excellently as Ron Howard’s Oscar nominated crew [Gotzon appeared in Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon in 2008]."

Photo by Jillian Bowen. © Copyright 2013 by Princess Cut.

This article can be found at www.RichDrama.com/PrincessCut.

Beyond the Mask tickets could disappear after Friday

 

Hi Everyone,

Time is running out to reserve your ticket to see Beyond the Mask.  Remember you can only reserve your tickets online at www.RichDrama.com/BeyondTheMask.

Beyond the Mask is a Christ-centered action adventure film that you don’t want to miss. Click on the image below to see a video about the message of Beyond the Mask.

See John Rhys-Davies, Stephen Kendrick and others interviewed at https://www.facebook.com/beyondthemaskmovie/videos

You can even watch the first few minutes of Beyond the Mask.

Now it’s time to reserve those tickets online because you will not be able to get tickets at the door.  Go to www.BeyondtheMaskMovie.com/tickets or if you have friends in the NYC area please forward them this email or send them to www.RichDrama.com/BeyondTheMask.

Tickets are not guaranteed after March 27.

See you at show time!

Rich Swingle

(Playing Dr. Bonneville)

For any other info visit: www.beyondthemaskmovie.com

Bev Holloway and John Forbes featured pre-Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp

Beverly Holloway has agreed to meet with students of the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp via video conference. She'll talk about her work as a casting director and then field questions from our students. Beverly is known for her work on The Ultimate Gift (starring Abigail Breslin and James Garner), Like Dandelion Dust (starring Barry Pepper and Academy Award-winner Mira Sorvino), and the upcoming Beyond the Mask (starring John Rhys-Davies). 

I first had Bev work with my students in 2008, and I was impressed with her 30-some credits. The list has now grown to 56! Bev is a genius at what she does, and is so filled with joy. She's always a delight. She has often considered my students for her projects, and I know that two of them were being strongly considered for the lead role in a major project. 

John Forbes' performance of William Booth for a reading in an upcoming Broadway musical about how Booth began The Salvation Army was literally put on ice for the recent blizzard, but he was willing to take some time to talk with our students in the context of one of our teaching videos, addressing the critical importance of staying in the present moment when performing. John is an international and Off-Broadway producer, and he's performed on and Off-Broadway and around the world. He even helped the king of the Zulu nation produce a musical in South Africa! 

The online teaching modules, including those with John Forbes, and video conference with Bev Holloway are available exclusively to those registered for the camp.

There are only three days left of the Early Bird Deadline. Save $150 for one week, $350 for two: www.ChristianFilmmakersCamp.com.

Post by Rich Swingle.

Post by Rich Swingle.

Now taking applications for the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp and sign-ups for Engage Rio.

 

Flying back to the Oregon Coast...

Goofing around on the Oregon Coast after performing at The Newmark Theatre.

Last October I performed at The Newmark Theatre in downtown Portland, Oregon. While there I reconnected with a family I'd met in a restaurant a year or more before, the Olstads. As they wheeled their son past our table I noticed a sticker on his wheelchair: "Joni & Friends." I have a number of connections to Joni Eareckson Tada, so we struck up a conversation. When we were kids our mom read from her autobiography, telling how she became a quadriplegic in a diving accident, and how she's gone on to be a painter, international speaker, writer (3M copies of her autobiography in print), and singer. In fact Joni sang the Oscar-nominated song for Alone Yet Not Alone in which I play a land speculator. Her husband pressed her diaphragm so she could hit the high notes.  She personally called our friend, Art Sanborn, who became a quadriplegic in a boogie boarding accident. His story and how he now jogs and does 150 pushups every day is told in his amazing autobiography, Walking Miracle. And one of our friends, a physical therapist, has traveled with Joni & Friends to Peru, Cuba and Poland to help fit the disabled with wheelchairs that have been donated. Turns out the Olstads worked with our friend on at least one of those trips! I'm sure we had many eavesdroppers in that restaurant as we talked excitedly about how the Creator of limbs could work so mightily through those who couldn't use them.

At The Newmark I reconnected with the Olstads, and they invited me to perform at a Joni & Friends event on the Oregon Coast. In fact that event will take place at Twin Rocks Friends Camp, where I served on summer staff when I was in college.  The evening at The Newmark was a fundraiser for Twin Rocks. 

I was pleased to hear that Joni & Friends keeps a lean budget, making sure that most donations go straight to the disabled who benefit from their assistance. The downside is that they can only cover my airfare. I've agreed to do the booking, especially in light of a friend who broke his neck just a couple of months ago while play wrestling. This twenty-something is now facing life as a quadriplegic, but we're trusting the Lord can either bring glory through his healing, as He did through Art Sanborn, or through the disability, as He's done through Joni. 

If you're in the Pacific Northwest I'd love to add to my itinerary! I'll be performing for Joni & Friends on August 11 & 18. I have free dates between those performances and after the 18th. 

If you're in the Cincinati area, the director of Polycarp has invited me to attend the premiere on February 20, so I would love to set up a booking in that area for the 21st and/or 22nd. 

Send decision makers in your church or school (wherever you may be) to www.RichDrama.com.

Here's the newly released trailer for Polycarp, which leads with me in the role of a slave trader:

I could use your help on one more front: I submitted for the role of a lifetime in a major motion picture, and they're basing their casting on each actor's standing on IMDb. If you visited www.IMDb.me/RichSwingle after our Christmas eCard was posted I thank you! There was a great surge in my standing, but now it's dropped considerably, and the submissions deadline has just arrived. Now is the time they'll be sorting through the candidates. If you have a second, click here. If you have a minute, while you're on the page find the Facebook Like button. If you have five minutes, click on each of the films in which I've performed and Like them. 

Watch for Princess Cut in theaters Valentine's Day. I play a suave realtor. And in April you can have a hand in bringing Beyond the Mask to a theater in your community. I play Dr. Bonneville in that one. 

I pray the New Year is off to a great start for each of you. Hope to see you out there somewhere... especially if you're in the Northwest or near Cincinnati. 

in Christ alone,

Rich

Twenty-four days left for the early bird special at the Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp. And sign-up for Engage Rio.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

We hope that you and yours have a blessed Christmas and a wondrous New Year!

This year has had some exceptional highs and lows for us. The deepest valley was resigning from The MasterWorks Festival after serving on the faculty for 16 years and directing the theatre program for ten. Joyce also had served as director of pastoral care for six years. Though it was a difficult decision we know that the Lord was leading in it, and we are planning to use the connections and experience we've gleaned after being a part of 17 film projects since 2010 to work on our own. Details to come.

Two of those films are coming to theaters on Valentine's Day (Princess Cut: I play suave realtor Nigel Livengood) and April 6 (Beyond the Mask: I play Dr. Bonneville). Click on those titles for more information, and for Beyond the Mask they're looking for people to help promote the film and are offering paid and volunteer positions, and volunteers earn an iPad! I've posted their new trailer below.

I also do not feel called away from teaching, and I will be doing that and coaching actors at The Rocky Mountain Christian Filmmakers Camp this summer. Registration is opened, and there are only a few places left, so apply as soon as possible. It was through this camp that the feature film In His Steps was produced. I was just there as an actor that year, playing John Gray, who runs a soup kitchen. This summer we helped our students audition for a live project, the feature film Mayflower II. One of our students was cast in the key role of the son of the characters played by Joyce and myself. One of his scenes led up to my favorite scene in my 19-year career!

Speaking of screen children, when Joyce and I went through pre-engagement counseling (something we highly recommend!) we were asked all sorts of things that you just don't naturally bring up as you're getting to know each other: spiritual background, denomination, political affiliation, etc. We were connected on so many levels, and the session was going so very well that I thought I'd throw in a joke when the counselor asked how many children we each wanted. I said twelve. Joyce just about fell out of her chair! Though we haven't had any children of our own, it just dawned on me that we've now had 13 screen children! We've played husband and wife in four films. In Indescribable we had nine children, in The Unexpected Bar Mitzvah we had one, in Rather to Be Chosen we had two, and in Mayflower II we had one. I hope in the future we'll have many screen grandchildren, but we'll be putting the pressure on casting directors (far into the future), rather than on our screen children.

 This was a busy traveling year with numerous performances and workshops in 17 states, Sochi, Russia, during the Olympics, and three provinces of Canada (a personal record for me).

We're planning to take a team of performing artists to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. If you're interested in joining us, and if you're on Facebook, click here. If you're not on Facebook be sure to watch your inbox for the announcement that registration for the trip is open.

Joyce continues as counselor and lead pastor of Westchester Chapel Church of the Nazarene in White Plains, NY, where we've seen profound connections with each other and with the Lord. You can hear her sermons at www.WestchesterChapel.org/JoyceSwingle and the few that I've had opportunity to share at www.WestchesterChapel.org/RichSwingle.

I just submitted to play the role of a lifetime on a $16M project. If you have a moment, please visit www.IMDb.me/RichSwingle and Like it in the right column. Even if you're not on Facebook, just visiting the page will give it a boost. If you have the time (took me about five minutes), it would be great if you could also visit and Like all the projects in which I’ve performed. If you do undertake that, please make it a time of praying for those projects and others that the Lord wants to birth through his people as he raises us up to tell His stories with excellence.

May the Love of Christ grow in your hearts and lives this Holy Season, and if you don't celebrate Christmas or see it just as just a season of obligation, consider inviting Christ into the manger of your heart. It will radically transform the way you see Christmas and the world. Find out more about that at www.RichDrama.com/MyPassion.

Joyce started Treasure Seekers for the children of Westchester Chapel, and I do short videos for them as Trevor the Treasure Seeker. Here's the video we put together to promote our Christmas Party for them...

Click here for the highlights of the year Facebook picked. And you can browse our blog for more.

 If you're still checking off your Christmas gift list, some of our films are available for instant download: www.RichDrama.com/Films.

Here's the new trailer for Beyond the Mask:



This list is only updated a few times a year. If you got this far you may be interested in more frequent updates, and you can sign up for those here: www.RichDrama.com/Updates.