Mike Murdock

Mike Murdock is an actor, writer and director from Chesapeake, Ohio. He graduated from Chesapeake High School in 1995 and attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio for 3 years. In 2002, he moved to Huntington, West Virginia, where he attended Marshall University and graduated with a B.A. in the Spring of 2004. His mother, Barbara Ruth Hensley Murdock, is a retired college professor and professional photographer, and his father, Thomas Melvin Murdock, is a retired high school teacher. They both still live in Chesapeake. Throughout the last 25 years of his career, Mike has worked with many organizations and theatres including, but not limited to: The Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg, WV, Unseam'd Shakespeare Company at The City Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA, The MUSE Theatre in Hollywood, CA, ARTS Resources for the Tri-State, Huntington Outdoor Theatre, Appalachian Regional Theatre, Ohio Valley Summer Theatre, Marshall University Theatre, Ohio University Theatre, The Renaissance Comedy Players, Community Players of Huntington, First Night Dinner Theatre, Ashland Community College Theatre, The No-Name Players and more... In January of 2004, Mike and his friend John Mehaffey left the snowy hills of Ohio and drove across the country to Los Angeles, California. After three years in the trenches, with many film, theatre and writing credits under his belt, he moved back to Ohio to unwind. Mike sold his first novel, "The Dragon Ruby", written with longtime collaborator Herschel Jeffrey, in 2007. The book will be re-released in 2017 for the 10-year anniversary. In 2014, Mike won "Best One-Act" in the Paramount Arts Center's New Play Competition for his play "Stealing Romance", judged by "Extant" creator and now a writer for "The Strain" on FX, Mickey Fisher. His screenplay "Brighter Days" was featured in the ARTS New Works Festival in Huntington, WV in December 2015. In 2016, Mike's short story "Dissonance" was a featured selection of the Lewisburg Literary Festival. Mike's horror screenplay "Sarah's Fire" will be featured in the ARTS New Works Festival in December 2016. In 2012, Mike saw Joanna Berner in a production of "The Curious Savage" in Ashland, Kentucky and knew that he had to meet her in person. After talking for several months via social media, they had their first date on August 11, 2012. Three years later, they were married on July 11, 2015 on the Mainstage at ARTS Resources for the Tri-State in Huntington, WV, where Mike is a Resident Director and Joanna is an Acting Company member. They still make Chesapeake their home, while spending a good deal of time traveling to various acting, directing and writing gigs across the country.