DAVID KAPLINSKY was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received his actor training and his Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying also at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London in Summer 2012. David made his professional theatre debut in summer 2013 to crowds upwards of 4,000 people a night at the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival in Omaha, NE as Antonio in Twelfth Night and Quintus in Titus Andronicus.
David made his TV debut in an episode of the NBC series, CHICAGO JUSTICE. Recent Chicago theatre credits playing the role of Producer/Arnie in Underscore Theatre Company's World-Premiere production of CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), playing Borachio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with Muse of Fire Theatre Company, Silvius in AS YOU LIKE IT with Arc Theatre in (both in Evanston, IL), and playing the real life anarchist Adolph Fischer in the Jeff-Award Recommended production of the new musical, HAYMARKET: THE ANARCHIST'S SONGBOOK. He also recently did a midwest tour of a one-person show called GHOSTS OF WAR with Griffin Theatre, based on the memoir of a veteran of the Iraq War, Ryan Smithson.
Past theatre credits include understudying various roles in THE STORY OF A STORY: THE UNTOLD STORY, a new musical written by Peter Gwinn--emmy-award-winning writer for The Colbert Report-- and Jody Shelton-- writer of 50 Shades: The Musical!; playing Chris Bell of "The Allen Brothers" in Pride Films and Plays' Chicago-premiere production of THE BOY FROM OZ at Stage 773 about the life of songwriter and performer Peter Allen; and playing "Michael" in the remount of the Chicago-Premiere of the rock-opera MURDER BALLAD produced by Bailiwick Chicago as part of the Theatre on the Lake summer festival. With Bailiwick, he also played "Christian" in the world-premiere production of PRINCESS MARY DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION by Aaron Holland and directed by Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown. Other past Chicago credits include being in the ensemble of It's A Wonderful Santa Land Miracle Nut Cracking Christmas Story... Jews Welcome, an interactive, family-friendly, holiday spectacular at STAGE 773, directed by Artistic Director Brian Posen; playing "Bod" in a SOLD-OUT-RUN of A NIGHTMARE ON BACKSTREET at the Public House Theatre (A Nightmare on Elm Street musical mashed up with the music of the Backstreet Boys); and a three month run of EL STORIES: NEW IN TOWN at the Greenhouse Theatre Center with Waltzing Mechanics Theatre Company.
Other credits include directing and appearing in The Yiddish Hour: A Radio Play at the Shadowbox theatre (Now the Old Marquer Theatre) in New Orleans and in Gayland: The Musical, a world-premiere sexual-equality musical at the New Orleans Fringe Festival. At the University of Illinois, he played Melchior Gabor in the musical Spring Awakening, as well as parts in Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream--It's a Bacchanal, Battle of Angels, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Our Town, and Dracula.
He is an Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) with experience in stage combat including unarmed, single sword, and small sword. David also is trained in multiple dialects and accents of English, including British RP, Cockney, Australian, Scottish, Irish, German, Southern US, Midwest US, New York, and Texas.
David made his TV debut in an episode of the NBC series, CHICAGO JUSTICE. Recent Chicago theatre credits playing the role of Producer/Arnie in Underscore Theatre Company's World-Premiere production of CARRIE 2: THE RAGE (An Unauthorized Musical Parody), playing Borachio in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with Muse of Fire Theatre Company, Silvius in AS YOU LIKE IT with Arc Theatre in (both in Evanston, IL), and playing the real life anarchist Adolph Fischer in the Jeff-Award Recommended production of the new musical, HAYMARKET: THE ANARCHIST'S SONGBOOK. He also recently did a midwest tour of a one-person show called GHOSTS OF WAR with Griffin Theatre, based on the memoir of a veteran of the Iraq War, Ryan Smithson.
Past theatre credits include understudying various roles in THE STORY OF A STORY: THE UNTOLD STORY, a new musical written by Peter Gwinn--emmy-award-winning writer for The Colbert Report-- and Jody Shelton-- writer of 50 Shades: The Musical!; playing Chris Bell of "The Allen Brothers" in Pride Films and Plays' Chicago-premiere production of THE BOY FROM OZ at Stage 773 about the life of songwriter and performer Peter Allen; and playing "Michael" in the remount of the Chicago-Premiere of the rock-opera MURDER BALLAD produced by Bailiwick Chicago as part of the Theatre on the Lake summer festival. With Bailiwick, he also played "Christian" in the world-premiere production of PRINCESS MARY DEMANDS YOUR ATTENTION by Aaron Holland and directed by Artistic Director Lili-Anne Brown. Other past Chicago credits include being in the ensemble of It's A Wonderful Santa Land Miracle Nut Cracking Christmas Story... Jews Welcome, an interactive, family-friendly, holiday spectacular at STAGE 773, directed by Artistic Director Brian Posen; playing "Bod" in a SOLD-OUT-RUN of A NIGHTMARE ON BACKSTREET at the Public House Theatre (A Nightmare on Elm Street musical mashed up with the music of the Backstreet Boys); and a three month run of EL STORIES: NEW IN TOWN at the Greenhouse Theatre Center with Waltzing Mechanics Theatre Company.
Other credits include directing and appearing in The Yiddish Hour: A Radio Play at the Shadowbox theatre (Now the Old Marquer Theatre) in New Orleans and in Gayland: The Musical, a world-premiere sexual-equality musical at the New Orleans Fringe Festival. At the University of Illinois, he played Melchior Gabor in the musical Spring Awakening, as well as parts in Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream--It's a Bacchanal, Battle of Angels, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Our Town, and Dracula.
He is an Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) with experience in stage combat including unarmed, single sword, and small sword. David also is trained in multiple dialects and accents of English, including British RP, Cockney, Australian, Scottish, Irish, German, Southern US, Midwest US, New York, and Texas.
David as Melchior in Spring Awakening at the University of Illinois, directed by Austin Regan (2013)