Ted Swartz reconciles loss of acting partner

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Actor Ted Swartz shared with youth during Tuesday evening worship three elements for “good acting.” He also spoke about the suicide of his long-time acting and business partner, Lee Eshleman.


Swartz of Harrisonburg, Va., is a comedian, actor and founder of Ted & Co.  



Ted Swartz speaks during evenig youth worship on Tuesday. Photo by Anna Groff.

The first element of good acting is to be present in the moment, he said.

Second, listen to each other. “As actors, we can tell when our partner’s not listening to us,” he said.

Third, practice empathy. 

When these three elements occur, actors call it “swapping molecules,” or chemistry.



Swartz said that acting offers the best metaphor for faith, as you learn from “pretending to be other people.” 

He added that the three elements of good acting are the same prerequisites for reconciliation. 

“You have to be honest,” he said.


This worship service combined a message with live drama and a video clip of a skit performed by Swartz and Eshleman.  



On May 17, 2007, Eshleman, 43, died by suicide. He was Swartz’s acting partner for 20 years.

“Our relationship felt like brothers,” he said. “We joked that our relationship felt like a marriage.”

Swartz told of the time, after Eshleman’s death, when he was working on a scene of the biblical story of Jacob returning home to Esau to ask forgiveness. The director told Swartz that the scene was not working and asked him to consider what it would be like if Eshleman was Esau and how Swartz would respond.

Swartz said he thought he was being present and listening—the first two elements—but missing the third element in the scene.

“I don’t think I was honest with my pain, guilt or anger,” he told the youth.



Swartz closed his message by performing the scene of Esau forgiving Jacob. He played both parts.

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