Resume · Actor
From his first steps onto a stage in the early 1960s to screen appearances in major Hollywood productions, Tom Erb has inhabited an extraordinary range of characters across six decades. As an actor, he brings the same deep understanding of character, emotional truth, and storytelling that defines his work as a director and playwright.
| Production | Role | Company | Year |
| Art of Murder | Vincent | Lemon Bay Playhouse, FL | 2024 |
| Love Letters | Andrew | Bay Indies Theatre, Venice, FL | 2019 |
| Inherit the Wind | Judge | Venice Theatre, Venice, FL | 2016 |
| One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Scanlon | Courthouse Playhouse, Kingston, RI | 2008 |
| Art | Serge | NETTI, Newport, RI | 2007 |
| My Three Angels | Joseph | Firehouse Theater, Newport, RI | 2006 |
| Wizard of Oz | The Wizard | Marlborough Rep, MA | 2005 |
| A Few Good Men | Col. Nathan Jessup | Chatham Rep, East Hampton, CT | 2002 |
| The Night of January 16th | Larry “Guts” Regan | City Rep, Hartford, CT | 1997 |
| Thousand Clowns | Leo Herman | City Rep, Hartford, CT | 1997 |
| How the Other Half Loves | Bob | Windsor Jesters, Windsor, CT | 1996 |
| A Funny Thing Happened… | Pseudolus | Spotlite Players, P.B. Gardens, FL | 1995 |
| Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom | Sturdyvant | Quest Theatre, Palm Beach, FL | 1994 |
| Oliver! | Mr. Sowerberry | Spotlite Players, P.B. Gardens, FL | 1994 |
| Oklahoma | Jud Fry | MHS Drama Club, Middletown, RI | 1973 |
| Production | Company | Year |
| A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Bay Indies Theatre, Venice, FL | 2017 |
| The Love List | Newport Playhouse, Newport, RI | 2012 |
| MASH | East Hampton Theatre, East Hampton, CT | 2002 |
| Alice in Wonderland | Chatham Rep, East Hampton, CT | 2002 |
| Noises Off | Podium Players, East Hampton, CT | 2002 |
| The Clone People | Spotlite Players, Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 1994 |
Resume · Producer
As a producer, Tom Erb has demonstrated a rare ability to combine artistic ambition with organizational leadership — helping create events, productions, and media projects that celebrate both artistic excellence and community connection.
Artistic Director / Founder · Venice, FL · 2017–Present
Founded and led community theatre company serving Southwest Florida. Directed full-length productions and curated seasonal programming.
Guest Director · Englewood, FL · 2019, 2026
Directed Born Yesterday (2026) and Lend Me a Tenor (2019) for main stage seasons. Developed workshop and festival proposals to expand programming and audience reach.
Executive Producer / Founder · Newport, RI · 2006–2015
Created and executive produced Newport RI: The Series — a 13-episode television production with a $500K+ budget. Founded Newport City Limits weekly television music showcase, achieving 25% audience growth. Built production infrastructure from startup to profitable media company.
Artistic Director · CT & RI · 2000–2011
Founded institute; grew to 200+ students annually across Connecticut and Rhode Island. Oversaw full production calendar, faculty hiring, curriculum, and community partnerships.
Artistic Director · East Hampton, CT · 2000–2004
Directed and produced full seasons of classic and contemporary work.
Artistic Director · Newport, RI · 2008–2010
Led performing arts programming for Trinity Church; produced musical dramas and outreach events. Built a stage from scratch with limited funds; launched a summer arts camp for youth.
Artistic Director · Newport, RI · 2009
Produced educational theatre programming for young performers and audiences.
Artistic Director / Founder · Marlborough, MA · 2004
Assistant Production Director · Palm Beach, FL · 1994–1996
Managed full-season productions (Rigoletto, Carmen, La Traviata, Eugene Onegin, The Merry Widow, Salome) with $2M+ budgets. Coordinated touring operations across multiple South Florida venues. Led talent management for international opera performers and conductors. Tour & Company Manager for Cinderella and Sorcerer’s Daughter.
Resume · Playwright
When the pandemic shut theaters in 2020, Tom Erb found another way to create. Today his catalog includes more than 100 original works spanning historical drama, comedy, farce, political theater, fantasy, and musical theater.
Flagship Work
A New Full-Length Historical Drama · Venice Centennial 2026
In August 1925, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fred Albee stood on thirty miles of Gulf Coast wilderness and saw something no one else could see — a White City on the Gulf. This is the true story of Venice, Florida. And it has never been told on stage.
Full-Length Historical Drama · 16M / 6F · Available for Production
Learn MoreThe Complete Ten-Minute Play Festival — Anthology of 10 self-contained plays
Melodies of the Past · First Time Fumbles · Echoes of the Unseen · Timeless Whispers at Penelope’s Cafe · Modern Nostalgia · Veil of the Past · Tangled Roots · The Last Gamble · The Final Act · The Mindscape
| American Pie | Rock & roll history through Don McLean’s song |
| Patron Saints | Comedy — God & Jesus delegate prayers to the saints |
| The Dreamer | A writer summons his Muse into a dream world |
| Sketchy | Romance — a park caricature artist finds love |
| Fake News | Drama — misinformation and its consequences |
| Shade Tree for Daddy | A father takes his son to meet his grandfather’s grave |
| Baptismal | Comedy — confessional humor about re-baptism |
| Colonial Theatre, Part One | 1750 — Lewis Hallam and the American colonies |
| Colonial Theatre, Part Two | The Hallam Company sails aboard The Charming Sally |
| Friendly Skies | Two sweethearts reunite in an empty airport |
| Those Are Mine | Comedy — corporate corruption and stolen files |
| Tee-Sing | Secrets and rivalry during a golf tournament |
| Diversity Rock | Children learn acceptance through a playground game |
| The Lucky Numbers | A Powerball ticket amid extraordinary circumstances |
| The Last Mission | Espionage — a spy’s erased memories, and his daughter |
| Masked Dating Game | Comedy — pandemic speed-dating |
| Brothers | Sibling envy, forgiveness, and brotherhood |
| Genesis in a Red Pick-Up Truck | A senior couple’s lifelong fascination with Genesis |
| The Magical Coins | A grandfather’s stories behind treasured coins |
| The Rusty Hand Truck | Comedy — neighborly banter in a divided world |
| The Trusty Rusty Hand Truck | Sequel — new neighbors arrive in Kansas City |
The East Wing Chronicles — 15 ten-minute plays about First Ladies
You Can’t Make This Up — Collection of comic ten-minute plays
15 High-School Ten-Minute Plays — Written for educational production
10 Politically-Themed One-Acts — Expanded 45–52 pages each
| Gulfshore Keys | Mixed | Mystery/Western — Venice, FL land auction, Texas Ranger |
| Midnight Waters | 2M | WWII — General MacArthur & Lt. Bulkeley on a PT boat |
| A Rainy Night in Hollywood (Rita) | 1F — Rita Hayworth on being a woman in 1940s Hollywood |
| A Rainy Night in Hollywood (George) | 1M — D-Day at Normandy |
| True Unto Death (Samuel) | 1M — Reflections on Sadie Remaley, 1890s |
| Art Therapy (Flo) | 1F — A bookstore clerk’s self-discovery |
| Watch Your Pronouns (Sarah) | 1F — A mother raising a transgender daughter |
| All Aboard (Sam) | Any — from the full-length play All Aboard |
| The Lesson (Junior) | 1M — A young Black man in his late twenties |
| The Lesson (Tommy) | 1M — A hippie-type in his early twenties, 1970s |
| Lost and Found | Comedy — a frantic search for car keys |
| Reservations | Comedy — a phobia of public restrooms |
| Quirky Pitch | Comedy — an impractical invention pitch |
| Herbivore’s Dilemma | Comedy — a vegan at a meat-filled BBQ |
| The Misplaced Confession | Comedy — accidental embarrassing confessions |
| Dream Unfulfilled | Comedy — a perpetual audition mindset |
| Encounter at Midnight | Comedy — mistaking clumsiness for a ghost |
| Homecoming Truths | Comedy — becoming a hometown festival’s clown |
| Date | Comedy — recounting a catastrophic first date |
| Over-the-Top Apology | Comedy — a celebrity’s derailed public apology |
| The Mad Scientist | Comedy — an invention that only makes noise |
| Faucet Fiasco | Comedy — a DIY repair floods the bathroom |
| Goodbye |
Resume · Education & Training
| Playwriting Workshop — 8 Weeks | Lemon Bay Playhouse, Englewood, FL | 2026 |
| Drama Advisor | Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, RI | 2015 |
| Drama Advisor | Lincoln/Sudbury High School, Sudbury, MA | 2003 |
| Drama Advisor | East Hampton High School, East Hampton, CT | 2000–2001 |
| Acting Instructor | NEAT, New Haven, CT | 1999–2000 |
| Acting for Models | Sarah Parker Modeling Agency, FL | 1993 |
| Intro to Acting / Improv | Spotlight Players, Palm Beach Gardens, FL | 1994 |
| Kindergarten & Middle School Theatre | Chatham Rep, East Hampton, CT | 1999 |
| Private Acting Coach | Independent | 1991–Present |
Teaching methodology grounded in the Meisner Technique, the Stanislavski System, and over 60 years of professional stage and screen experience. Areas of instruction include scene work, character development, audition technique (cold reading, monologue, callbacks), classical text (Shakespeare, Chekhov), and contemporary realism.
| Master Acting Workshops | Stella Adler, New York |
| Character Study | Charles Nelson Reilly, Tequesta, FL |
| Stage Comedy | Avery Schreiber, Burt Reynolds Theatre, Jupiter, FL |
| Professional Internship / Apprentice | Trinity Repertory Company (w/ Adrian Hall), Providence, RI |
| Movement & Mime | Michael Grando |
| Stand-Up Comedy | Frank O’Donnell, Cranston, RI |
| Theatre Arts | Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI (1973–76) |
| BFA Theatre Arts | Palm Beach Community College, FL |
| Dale Carnegie Business Course | Graduate Assistant, Jupiter, FL |
| Apprentice | Newport Players Guild, Newport, RI |
Resume · Affiliations
| SAG — Screen Actors Guild |
| AFTRA — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists |
| AEA — Actors Equity Association |
| Dramatists Guild of America |
| New Play Exchange — Playwright Profile |
| Newport Arts and Culture (NAC) — VP & Board Member, Newport, RI |
| Fort Adams Trust — Past Board Member, Newport, RI |
| Newport This Week — Reporter / Contributor |
| Motif Magazine — Reporter / Contributor, Providence, RI |
| Newport Film Festival — Volunteer Coordinator (2006–2007) |
| Newport Folk & Jazz Festivals — Production Coordinator (2007–2016) |
“Tom Erb is a human dynamo who single-handedly makes artistic endeavors happen! He turned a town focused on sailing and tourism into a place with a thriving art scene. He is a Renaissance man and an energetic asset to all he contacts.”
Franco D’Alessandro, Playwright / Professor of Playwriting
“Original thinking, artistry, business sense, generosity, and chutzpah seldom come in a single package. They do here. Tom has boundless energy and the ability to weave good news into surprising feats of artistic performance.”
Robert Bailey, Business Development Professional
“Tom is a dedicated professional and creative force in the theater industry. He works to achieve his vision on stage and off, managing people and ideas to further the project’s ultimate goals.”
Al Deston III, Executive Board & Former President, Professional Musicians of the South Coast
“Tom immediately puts the actor at ease, creating an atmosphere encouraging the best performance. He commands a real, down-to-earth style that keeps every moment true, on camera and off.”
Holt Murray, Corporate Sponsorships / Actor
Complete production histories, play catalog, headshots, and references available upon request.