JOSHUA
HENRY
BRELSFORD
is your hopeless romantic next-door neighbor, or a colossal bird of prey ruling his kingdom with a tyrant’s fist… depending on how thick his eyebrows are that day. An actor, writer, and director hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, Joshua currently lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He spends his time devising and producing multi-media projects inspired by innovative live performance in the modern age.
He has performed for communities in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and rural Montana. In 2024, he debuted his first play, KILN, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival under the direction of Mary Grace Seigel. With the collaboration of Crumb to a Bird Ensemble, this family drama was later toured to Pittsburgh, and New York City. In 2022, Joshua founded Smoke n’ Shake Theatre, an immersive theatre project highlighting the works of William Shakespeare in direct collaboration with the cannabis industry of New York State. He received training from the University of Minnesota/ Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program, The Globe Theater, and The Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Montana Shakespeare
In the fall of 2025, Joshua managed a company of seven actors in a production of "Richard III" that toured to 52 different high schools, juvenile detention facilities, and community centers around the state of Montana. "The mission of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is to engage and enrich both rural and underserved communities with professional productions of Shakespeare and other classics and, through educational outreach, to inspire creative expression and appreciation of the arts in young audiences." The performance kicked off a day-long residency at each school that included workshops in acting fundamentals, civics & ethics, and stage combat. In addition to performing, Joshua and the ensemble taught the workshops, and constructed the set at each location.
"ARTFUL AND ABSTRACT DEEP DIVE INTO FAMILIAL GRIEF"
"A WONDERFUL JOB AT ENCAPSULATING THE DIFFICULT FAMILY DYNAMICS OF ADULT SIBLINGS"
"BRELSFORD'S PERFORMANCE IS GROUNDED"
"HOW IT FEELS TO KNOW EVERYTHING AND NOTHING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR BLOOD."
Smoke n' Shake Theatre
is a repertory theater company that strives to highlight the contemporary, absurd, and bizarre elements of the works of William Shakespeare through the utilization of audience interaction (games) and immersion. Through a mix of both deconstructed modern and "classical-leaning" rehearsal techniques, our productions hope to recreate the community engaging intentions of William Shakespeare and other foundational writers .
Past productions include A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V, and Macbeth.
.jpg)
Gallery
