The company

About

A stage whisper is a secret performed — said softly, meant to carry to the back row.

That's the kind of theater we make. Stage Whispers is an American production company founded by Carl Merrick, based in Chicago, producing original work that treats the audience like someone worth confiding in.

We produce our own stories first. And when the stars align, we work with talent we believe in.

The founder

Carl Merrick — black-and-white portrait

Carl Merrick

Chicago — by way of Michigan

Actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Carl trained in improv at The Second City in Chicago and in stand-up at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Detroit, studied Uta Hagen's technique with Lynn Clark, and has performed comedy in Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles. On screen he is known for Sunlit Path (2025) and a string of principal film roles including 1-800-Reject, While We Sleep, Jeannie!, Round Earthers, and Spoon River Anthologies.

Before the stage: the U.S. Navy, emergency medicine, the pulpit, the cockpit, the classroom, and a law degree. Every one of them turned out to be character work.

  • Writer & "Jack" — About Isobel
  • The Second City, Chicago — improv
  • B.S. Eastern Michigan · J.D. Thomas Cooley
  • IMDb →