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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
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Crystal Wise
Evan Michael Woods is a theatrical renaissance man. Whether he’s writing, photographing, or starring in a show, he consistently proves his ability to thrive in any role, onstage or off.
When Woods stumbled into his first theater class at his small-town Mississippi middle school, he immediately fell in love with the art form’s amalgamation of creative disciplines. He later set his sights on attending a premier college theatre program, and despite navigating the audition process without a coach or mentor, earned a full ride to study acting at TCU.
During college, Woods added photography to his creative repertoire. He was drawn to the art form because he could practice it freely, without a casting director’s permission. “I was completely self-taught, but I was very voracious about it,” he says. It didn’t take long for Woods to hone the skill and make a name for himself. Over the next several years, his photos were featured by theater companies and publications near and far — from Dallas Theater Center to the New York Times.
Woods’ photography and acting careers turned out to be mutually beneficial, allowing him to both perform in and shoot productions at acclaimed theater companies throughout DFW. In 2019, he photographed and starred in Jeremy Kareken’s “The Lifespan of a Fact” at Stage West Theatre. He was the second actor to ever play the lead role of Jim following Daniel Radcliffe’s Broadway run the year prior. When he was in character, Woods had a friend take over as photographer — and one of the photos she snapped of him ended up in a two-page Arts & Life spread in the Dallas Morning News. “My work as both an actor and a photographer came together in a huge way, and it was very exciting,” he says.
For the last five years, Woods has lent his talents to Amphibian Stage — a hub for groundbreaking new theater, which has proven to be the perfect incubator for his creative genius. As the company’s marketing director, his day-to-day duties consist of graphic design, art direction, photography, and more. In 2023, Amphibian afforded Woods the opportunity to add directing to his list of skills. “I’d done nearly everything except direct, and I felt like it was a logical way to flex all of my creative muscles,” he says.
Woods made his triumphant directorial debut last July with “Miss Molly” — a world premiere comedy, which he also co-wrote with his former college roommate, Christine Carmela. Since then, his expert eye has been in high demand. This year alone, he will direct two shows in Fort Worth: “Hundred Days,” an indie folk-punk musical at Circle Theatre, and “The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia,” a Shakespearean comedy at Amphibian.
In everything he does, Woods embodies the element of surprise. Whether he’s staging the perfectly timed delivery of a line, orchestrating a slightly off-kilter photo, or delighting crowds with an unexpected dance solo, he continuously astounds colleagues and audiences with just how good he is at, well, everything.
“Sometimes I pinch myself thinking of all I’ve done, and in a lot of areas where I have no formal training,” Woods says. “It’s all intrinsically tied to Fort Worth and all of the opportunities I’ve been given here, so I’m very grateful to the city and all the people who have told me, ‘yes.’”
BY THE WAY ...
FM: What’s your favorite piece of theater and why?
EMW: My theater career really started when I saw the national tour of ‘Wicked’ in middle school. I was completely astounded by every aspect of the production — awe-inspiring design, mind-bending theatricals, life-changing performances. I didn’t even care how; I just knew I wanted to be a part of something like that.
FM: What’s your ideal day in Fort Worth?
EMW: Brunch at Press Cafe • Walk on the Trinity • Peruse Doc’s Records and Vintage • Take a nap • Walk my dog around Westover Hills at sunset • Dinner at Walloon’s • Finish the night at the Amber Room or Atico in the Stockyards.
FROM THE FEED
1. Photo by and of Woods as Jim Fingal in “Lifespan of a Fact” in the Dallas Morning News.
2. Photo by and of Woods with cast of “Miss Molly” at Amphibian Stage.
3. Photo by and of Woods as John Buchanan in “Summer and Smoke” at The Classics Theatre Project.
Nat Chittamai
4. Photography behind the scenes.
5. Photo by Woods of “Cryano” at Amphibian Stage.
6. Performing a dance solo in “Witch” at Stage West Theatre.
7. Eighth grade play, “Shuffling.”
