Meridith Grundei

Meridith Grundei (she/her) is a multi-passionate director, actor, producer, and educator. Her artistic sensibility is joyful, equitable, curious, precise and a shade wabi sabi. Her broad strokes of work range from microscale absurd sketch comedy to macroscale immersive, experiential theatrical events. She strongly values giving her actors and collaborators brave space to offer their truths and ideas that challenge conventional ways of casting, collaborating, and creating.

As a director/creator, select credits include: Out of The Blue by Eli Hans (solo musical in central MX), The Father Project (work in progress, NYC),  MOVE (ensemble-created), Under Construction by Charles Mee (Naropa University, MFA), Jason Craig & Dave Malloy’s BEOWULF: A Thousand Years of Baggage (Nine Henry Award Noms), Mickle Maher’s There is A Happiness That Morning Is and Jordan Harrison’s FUTURA (The Catamounts), A Christmas Carol (Miners Alley Playhouse), Peter Gwinnn’s Moulin Scrooge (The Catamounts in collaboration with The Band of Toughs), One Act: a fully improvised play (creator/director-Boulder International Fringe Festival/Chicago Improv Festival), and Normal Heights in collaboration with Jim Walker and Gary Grundei.

Of these credits, Meridith is most proud of curating BITE-SIZE: An Evening of Micro Theatre from initial concept to creation. BITE-SIZE was made with the support of Off-Center at The Denver Center Performing Arts Company, winning Westword’s Best Immersive Piece in 2018. 213 playwrights submitted from around the country to have their play performed in an experiential theatre event at Denver-hotspot Bookbar. Of these 213 submissions, 10 were selected (5 produced, 5 runners-up). All 10 were published by Bookbar Press in 2020. 

As an actor, Meridith has a passion for devised work, non-linear storytelling and out-of-the-box thinking across stage and screen, though she can be found playing an overly concerned parent in a commercial or two. 

Meridith has trained with some pretty awesome people, cutting her improv teeth at iO Chicago and becoming an Associate Faculty Member at The Second City, Chicago. With an M.F.A. in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, she is an Associate Artist with Local Theater Company (NYC, LA, CO) and travels the country teaching and performing improv as a guest and adjunct teacher. You can also find out more about Meridith as a public speaking coach by visiting www.grundeicocahing.com