Mark’s interest in directing began at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NY. He moved on to a prestigious film directing program at Hofstra University (where he also played football and baseball), USC Film School, and AFI. In NYC, he directed productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Long Island Shakespeare Festival), Middle of the Night (Uta Hagen’s and Herbert Bergdoff’s HB Studios), The Rimers of Eldrich, Waiting for Lefty and Buried Child. In Los Angeles Mark directed the West Coast premiere of Arthur Miller’s, Memory of Two Mondays, for which he won the Dramalogue Award as well as an L.A. Drama Desk nomination. Blanchard took home Dramalogue and Drama Desk Awards for the world premiere of One Last Ride at the Court Theatre, as well as True West at The Palm Canyon Theatre (Palm Springs). Multiple award-winning Director and Playwright for the film A WORLD AWAY. Creator of the new Reality Show American Motor Stories. Other notable credits include Cody Angelimo is Coming (World Premiere, Met Theatre), True West (Zephyr Theatre, co-starring Sean Kanan), It’s Just Sex (L.A. People’s Choice Award for Best Play 2008-09), and most recently, he directed the World Premiere of Hugh Gross’s Stated Income. L.A. Weekly named Mark their “Pick of the Week” and called him “Howard Hawksian.”
A member of The Riverside Shakespeare Company NYC, his stage credits include a Nationwide tour of True West as Austin, American Buffalo, Tony Angelino is Coming, and Memory of Two Mondays. His acting credits include Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Yoga Instructor for Kyle Richards and Marissa Zanak), Wise Guys, Facts of Life, and Ranger Rick in A World Away.
Blanchard is most proud of his magical children: Rowan, age 23, Carmen, age 21, and Shane, age 18, and his lovely wife Elizabeth. All of his children are working actors who have been coached by Mark.