Derdriu holds an MFA from The Gaiety School of Acting, Dublin and BA in Music & English from University College Cork, Ireland. 

She began her career at The Abbey Theatre, Dublin and her first equity role in Cleveland was as Lucy in DRACULA at The Cleveland Playhouse. 

A proud and active member of both Actors Equity and Screen Actors Guild for 22 years, 

her roles are too many to fully list but some memorable ones include;

• Slippy Helen in THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN (Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles ), 

• Catherine in A LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT  with Ellen Burstyn (Hartford Stage), 

• Catherine in PROOF, Toinette in THE IMAGINARY INVALID, ( The Cleveland Playhouse),

• Josie in MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN,

• Phebe in AS YOU LIKE IT (both at Great Lakes Theater Festival),

• Ellen in THERE IS A HAPPINESS THAT MORNING IS
    (CPT- superior achievement by an Actress-The Cleveland Critics Award),

• Barbara in MAJOR BARBARA,

• Maggie in HOBSON'S CHOICE all at Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre
  (awarded Best Actress of the year by Pittsburgh Post Gazette). 

• Pegeen in THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN, The Irish Rep, NYC.

• Rosie Redmond in THE PLOUGH & THE STARS (The Guthrie Theatre),

• Nora Reilly in JOHN BULL'S OTHER ISLAND (Geva Theatre),

• Vivie in MRS. WARREN”S PROFESSION (Austin State Theatre), 

• Alexa in STRANDED ON EARTH (Theatre Ninjas/Mamai Theatre Co.-
  Awarded Best Actress 2014 by The Cleveland Critics Circle Awards and #1 Most Memorable      
  Moment in Theatre), 

• Ellen in OVER THE PUB &Ousier Boudreaux in STEEL MAGNOLIAS (The New London Barn, New Hampshire).

• Maureen in THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE at None Too Fragile

• Emma in ANNAPURNA ( Best Actress nomination and award from broadwayworld.com)

• Martha in WHO”S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at The Beck Center
   The #1 Most Memorable Moment in Theatre, Critics Choice, 2018.
   

ACTING TRAINING

She has participated in master acting classes with

• Stephen Berkoff (English Stage and Film Actor and Playwright; founder of The London Theatre Group)

• Brian Cox, (Scottish Actor with Royal Shakespeare Company; Emmy Award-winning Film Actor)

• Brian Dennehy (American film and stage actor; Golden Globe Winner For Miniseries Death of a Salesman; Tony Award Winner for Broadway production of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh)

• Anne Bogart (American theatre and opera director; founder of the Saratoga International Theater Institute; 

• Stephen Rea (Irish theatre and film actor; Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for the film 
  The Crying Game

• Deborah Warner (director of theatre and opera; stage and film actor; Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director – Titus Andronicus)

• John Crowley ( Irish film and theatre director.[1] He is best known for the films Brooklyn (2015) and his debut feature, Intermission (2003), for which he won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Director.

 

• Derdriu has also performed as an Orchestral Narrator with The Suburban Symphony. Television: Law and Order, C.I., Hope & Faith. Film: The Yank, Fortune. 

 

• For the past 12 years, Derdriu has been a performer/teaching artist with Playhouse Square’s International Children’s Festival, at Cleveland’s Metro Hospital and with Kulture Kids.

• She has been an Artist in Residence with Cleveland School of The Arts, Hathaway Brown and Hawken.

Derdriu is deeply grateful to facilitate these incredibly talented, smart students at The Academy and very grateful to call Chagrin Falls her hometown.