VISUAL TALES: Hi Burke: Thanks for taking the time to do this cover feature for Visual Tales. Congrats on all your acting projects so far and we are thrilled to be able to feature you at the brink of greater success with the play directed by Stephen Daldry, writer & original story by Kate Trefry and of course the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things The First Shadow on Broadway (Opens officially April 22, 2025). How do you feel with all of this excitement surrounding the play?
BURKE SWANSON: It’s been a wild ride so far, but working with creatives who are just as thrilled to be bringing this show to Broadway has made sharing our hard work with audiences That much more fulfilling.

VT: To landed a major role such as this must be such a exciting moment for you, share with us the moment you found out you landed the role and the casting process.
BS: When I got the initial self-tape, I was out on the road performing Back to the Future: The Musical at the Kennedy Center. I submitted myself more as a networking opportunity, I never thought that I would actually get requested to come in-person to work with the directors two weeks later on my only day off. When I finally got the call that I was going to be playing Hopper, I had just dropped off my grandparents at their hotel in St. Louis. It was raining. I was crying. It was surreal. So much gratitude. So much awe.

VT: This is a prequel to the super successful series with a huge fanbase. Tell us about your character in the play, James Hopper Jr.? How did you prepare for the role? Did you bring a lot of yourself into the character? 
BS: When you have someone like THE David Harbour as your source material, it's hard not to want to evoke his spirit within every aspect of your process.  I think the beautiful part about acting, and the beautiful part about playing a role that is still being explored by another individual, is how we can each elevate the story that we are collectively telling. With this chapter being told in the late 50s, we get to see a version of Hop that we've never seen before, so what's been fun for me is to play with just how different he is as a teen and plant the seeds that will grow into the lost man that we meet in Season 1 of the TV show.
          Working with the unbelievable Kate Trefry, who has been a writer on the show since Season 2 and is an executive producer, we've gotten to reference and celebrate the Hopper that we know and love, while also deepening our understanding of his story. To have a writer who is still curious, who is still determined to excavate all that this character can be, is such a gift. She makes my job quite easy actually and I will ever be indebted to her for the care and attention to detail that she has advocated for within this process.

VT: Your show is currently in previews. For those who are not regular theater goers, what’s the difference between previews vs. when the play officially opens? Have your character been evolving since the original award winning production that began in London? 
BS: Previews are our chance to test out all of the technical and thematic elements with an audience. It allows us all to learn what audiences are connecting with and what they need more of, and that sort of live, raw information allows us to refine the show even more than we already have during our 5 weeks of rehearsals and 5 weeks of tech. In this way, by the time the show opens on the 22nd of April, the show will be the best version it can be for this iteration of the production.

VT: The play won a Olivier Award in London for Best Play. Can we expected the same production as the British counterpart or differ to adjust to Broadway?
BS: This creative team has been adamant about making STTFS the most memorable theater experience that Broadway has ever seen, and that means a constant commitment to making every aspect of the show, from the magic to the story, as great as it can be. Everything that made the West End Production so successful has been elevated ten-fold, and that means that folks who saw it overseas have the opportunity to experience the show for the first time again.

VT: Besides Louis McCartney, who is reprising his award performance in the lead role as Henry Creel, most of the cast are making their Broadway debuts, what’s is it like to perform with such an amazing fresh cast?
BS: We have a cast of 34 people, a literal small town, all stepping out on stage every night to bring the scope of Hawkins to life. Of those, 20 are making their debut. This is the next generation of theatre makers folks. Furthermore, you have some longtime heavy hitters, like Rosie Benton, TR Knight, Andrew Hovelson, Ted Koch, Graham Winton, Ta’rea Campbell, Antoinette Comer, Janie Brookshire, and Stephen Wattrus rounding out the cast, who are all giving masterclasses throughout, on and off the stage. I am always thankful when I find myself within a company like this, because it’s hard, it takes commitment and respect and communication and patience and kindness and love, but when we all are working together towards a mutual aim with compassion, really revolutionary things can start to happen.

VT: The special effects are a crucial part of the play, if you can give us some early teasers, what can we expect?
BS: At the risk of being too bold, everything that you have ever been wowed by on stage is within our show and, in case that wasn't enough, this creative team, and our crew (our crew, our crew, praise be to our crew) have pushed the very limits of our art form in order to inspire a theater going experience unlike any you have ever imagined. I'm seeing things backstage every day, and I still don't fully comprehend how they are happening. How incredible is it to not only be wowed, but to be wowed again and again and again and again? This is going to be one of those shows in which you're going to need to see multiple times, because the sheer amount of detail that has gone into every aspect of this show is  j a w d r o p p i n g  and one go at it simply won’t be enough. You are not going to believe your eyes.

VT: What do you hope for the super loyal fans of the Netflix hit series to get out of the play and especially with your character that differs from the series?
BS: The Stranger Fans are some of the most passionate out there, and I've already been feeling the love since this role got announced. It really elevates the work that you do because it is a constant reminder that there are many, many people who are already looking forward to experiencing this world. And they should be! They've had to sit on the couch and watch it for the last, you know, nine, ten years, and now they get to actively help tell it with us. I’m pumped for these fans to get out here and experience it live, because that's the last piece of the puzzle: we can’t do it without you.

VT: Tell us about you and how did the love of acting came about? When did you realize that acting is your path in life?
BS: The dream kicked off back in the summer before 4th grade, when I got dragged into doing a stand-up special with my sleep away camp roommates, but it has had many different manifestations since then. What a reminder of how vital fostering the arts within local communities is to the betterment of our homes and lives! Without my time growing up in Virginia, particularly with local groups like Stagedoor Productions and Riverside Dinner Theater, my High School Arts Teachers, or the VA Residential Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities, I would not be who I am today. Being close to the nation’s capital gave me access to high class art, but it was my family and my community that gave me the confidence to follow my dreams. The life lessons and guidance that I received growing up in VA continues to ground me and I will remain ever grateful. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge shout out to my High School Drama Teacher, Kelly Cresswell, who will be retiring this year after fostering creativity and passion for the arts within the hearts of almost three decades of students. Thank you Cress <3

VT: You are from Savannah, Georgia and a graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design. How did your education there prepare yourself for a career in acting?
BS: SCAD was where I got to hit the ground running and get messy. Surrounded by artists of all disciplines, I got to experience true, true collaboration and it awoke within me an incredible commitment to the arts as a whole. If that wasn’t enough, the wide ranging Theatre and Film / TV classes provided by the SCAD professors introduced me to the tools I would need in order to make a life within this industry. When you take away all the luck, I cannot fathom having been able to book my first audition post-graduation and make my Broadway debut in Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo without my time in Savannah. Go Bees, baby!

VT: Prior to this role, you also star in the National Tour of Back to the Future—The Musical as George Mc Fly. What was that experience like? Was it a great gateway to mentally preparing yourself for your Broadway debut of Stranger Things The First Shadow?
BS: When we were rehearsing for the first national with Tony award winning director John Rando, and the one and only Bob Gale, it was very important for us to highlight George’s spirit within a comedic style that can easily fall into schtick. People may be coming to the show to have a good time and relive some old memories, but what makes people stand up and applaud, what makes grown men, who have never been to a musical before, literally stand up and yell, “Hit him, George! Come on, George!” is that beautiful moment when we evoke passion and connection through our work. That comes from heart, that comes from care, that comes from an intimate appreciation for what that character stands for and a sincere authenticity in how it gets expressed. George just wants to love and to be loved, and I think that that's a very universal thing.
          He may not sound or look like us, but we have all certainly felt like George at various points in our life, and so to be able to help tell that story alongside some of the greatest performers in musical theater was a great honor. Bringing that level of detail, 8 times a week, definitely set me up for success with returning to Broadway in The First Shadow.

VT: Based on your bio, on your own time, you love to spend time in nature and contour drawing. Tell us about these interests.
BS: One of my most influential classes at SCAD wasn't even from the Performing Arts department! It was my Design Classes, taught by multidisciplinary artist Christopher Olszewski, that taught me about what it really means to have a full life in the arts. How to remain curious, how to continue exploring, and why it is vital to advocate for process over product. These are the things that have and will continue to allow me to remain at peace when not working as an actor, so much so that my creative partner and I started JMP! Collective just before the pandemic as a way of producing our own art alongside other artists. We're currently working on publishing our second book called postcards i never sent, which is based on a movement-concert that we wrote, produced, and devised a few years back, and we just created a zine with watercolors by a fellow SCAD alum.

VT: Being a theatre performer requires a lot of discipline and dedication, mentally and physically. What’s your daily regiment to keep yourself motivated and refresh to perform in front of a live audience on stage?
BS: Being on the road, I had to come to terms with the fact that theatre performers at this level are major league athletes. To do this job sustainably, while also being a gracious human, you have to commit to self care in a way that not a lot of other careers demand. For me, that is anything that helps to balance the body, mind, and spirit. I try to start my days with some form of Qigong, Fitness, and Meditation, and I do a vocal warm up and cool down before and after every show. In addition to that, I am ideally outside for at least 30mins a day, and I try to have the first and last hour of my day be tech free. Steaming the voice, stretching the body, and reading once back home certainly helps, as does getting out of the city often and avoiding any unhelpful noise in terms of critics & reviews. Should that all fail? Family, friends, and having a well-rounded life Outside of the industry certainly doesn’t hurt ;) 

VT: How do you envision your acting career to go next if you have a choice?
BS: For me, this is a lifelong passion. I’m sure that this art will take on many different forms as I continue to grow and develop alongside it, and I cannot wait to see where it leads.

Some random questions:
Favorite phrase you repeat quite often that is distinctly Burke?
According to the one and only Alison Jaye: “Cheers Hallelujah!”

Best way to describe your personal style and favorite costume you have worn from productions you have acted in.
The reproduction of the 1959 jean jacket that I wear as Hopper is ~oh so good~, that and the brown leather jacket. They have a sincerity, a weight, that cannot be faked. Put those with some classic Red Wings, and you are flying high. You’ll have to check out the show to see what I’m talking about.

My favorite dream meal would be?
My grandma’s “Beef Stroganoff”

Your favorite season/episode from Stranger Things The Netflix streaming series.
Season 3 is probably my favorite overall. I remember seeing the trailer and instantly being HOOKED. When re-watching the series in preparation for the Broadway show though, the scene right near the end of S.1/Ep.7, between Joyce, Hopper, and Jonathan told me everything that I needed to know about the “Jopper” dynamic.

If you were given the opportunity to remake a Broadway show, which show and character would u love to give a crack at and why?
Such a hard question! Where does one even start? Sea Wall/A Life, Corny Collins from Hairspray, Dr. Pomatter from Waitress, Hamlet, Lear, Buried Child, The Life & Death of Marina Abramovic?? In truth, the role(s) that I am most excited to play are the ones in which creatives are most excited to collaborate with me on. The fulfillment for me is the process of collective storytelling; there are so many original, diverse stories that have yet to be explored and working with folks who are interested in pushing the boundaries of what a story can be are the ones I would like to offer my creative energy to, no matter the medium.

If you can create a playlist of tracks that would describe to us who Burke Swanson is about. Which tracks would you choose?
“A Gathering on 57th” by The Paper Kites
“Sarà Septembre” by Andrea Bocelli
“Leaves of Grass” by Jamie Branch
“Jin-Go-Lo-Ba (Jin-Go-Low-Bah)” by Babatunde Olatunji
“Change” by Djo
“Everything is Peaceful Love” by Bon Iver
“The Meadow” by Nickel Creek

Burke’s note: I chose seven tracks because 14 is my lucky number, so you can have the remaining 7 songs next time y’all have me back ;) 
Editor’s note: Deal!