[…] that he’s played by a handsome, comically dexterous actor just makes him all the more appealing. 

Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of Shakespeare in Love

Azar plays up that entrapment, plays up that symbol, the caged animal yearning to break free.

Broadway World review of The Glass Menagerie

Many hats

When I started my journey in theatre, I was under the impression that I would be one thing: an actor. And to be clear, I am an actor. But that’s not the only identity that I have grown to own.

I am a parent-artist. My son’s birth at the end of 2016 cracked open my soul. I thought that I already had access to vulnerability and depth within my work, but little did I know just how deep the well runs. My family gives me the foundation for nearly everything I do onstage and onscreen. My wife Maegan supports me in exploring my artistic creations and experiments. My dog Benjamin has been my at-home rehearsal partner for more than ten years.

I am a classically-trained actor. I earned my MFA in classical acting from the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. But that doesn’t mean that I only do Shakespeare. I love his work, and I think it is timeless, vital, and nearly infinitely flexible. My time with the ACA taught me how to look inside myself, how to dig into the text, how to get out of my own way as an artist. Whether I’m rehearsing a piece that’s 2000 years old or one that was written yesterday, I bring the same classically-minded approach to all of my work.

I love to move. During my undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, stage movement (and, in particular, stage combat) revealed itself as a personal passion. Using my body to express myself, frequently without words, feels liberating and dynamic. It didn’t necessarily come as a surprise — I spent years studying Yoshukai karate, which helped me establish a connection with my mind and body. Theatre allows to bridge that connection into my soul.

I am an individual artist who treasures collaboration. I’ve been very fortunate to work with some of the country’s top playwrights as they developed their work, including Bad Jews with Joshua Harmon, Octopus with Steve Yockey, Touch(ed) with Bess Wohl, and God of Meat with Samuel D. Hunter. I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of my favorite artists whom I call friends. One of my favorite feelings is the brief disappointment at the end of a rehearsal day, followed by the excitement of knowing that we’ll get back into it tomorrow.