Kelly Kerwin
producer
Curator
dramaturg
E D U C A T I O N
MFA | Yale School of Drama, Dramaturgy/Dramatic Criticism, 2015
BFA | The Theatre School at DePaul, Dramaturgy/Dramatic Criticism, 2008
A R T I S T I C L E A D E R S H I P
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, Oklahoma City Repertory Theater, 2021-2024
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, Under the Radar, The Public Theater, 2016-2021
LINE PRODUCER, The Public Theater, 2016-2021
PERFORMANCE CURATOR AND CO-FOUNDER, Salonathon, 2011-2012; 2020
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/CURATOR, Pop! A Pop-Up Performance Festival, 2016
ARTIST SERVICES COORDINATOR, Int'l Festival of Arts and Ideas, 2014 + 2015
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, Yale Cabaret, 2013-2014 Season
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, Collaboraction (Chicago), 2011-2012
LINE PRODUCER, Atlantic Theater Company's The Next Page, 2009
I N S T I T U T I O N A L D R A M A T U R G Y
LITERARY ASSOCIATE, Yale Repertory Theatre, 2014-2015 Season
LITERARY MANAGER, The House Theatre of Chicago, 2010-2011
LITERARY APPRENTICE, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 2010-2011 Season
LITERARY ASSOCIATE (INTERIM), Atlantic Theater Company, 2009
LITERARY INTERN, Atlantic Theater Company, 2008
T E A C H I N G
LECTURER, Dramaturgy/Dramatic Criticism, Yale School of Drama, 2022-present
MENTOR, International Arts Incubator at University of Oklahoma, 2022
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, Theater Department, Connecticut College, 2020-2021
GUEST ARTIST, Playwriting Workshop, Yale School of Drama 2021
GUEST ARTIST, MFA Directing & Playwriting Dept, UT Austin, 2021
GUEST LECTURER, Entrepreneurial Mindset, University of Oklahoma, 2021
GUEST LECTURER, Dramaturgy and Design, The New School, 2020
GUEST SPEAKER, Advanced Dramaturgy, The Theatre School at DePaul, 2020
GUEST SPEAKER, Intro to Dramaturgy, Yale College, 2019
ARTIST MENTOR, Dwight/Edgewood Project, Yale School of Drama, 2013
E D I T O R I A L
MANAGING EDITOR: Yale Theater Management Knowledge Base, 2015-2016
RESEARCH ASS'T: Sustain Arts at Harvard Kennedy School, 2015-2016
RESEARCH ASS'T: Surveillance Technologies in Performance by Elise Morrison, 2015
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Theater Magazine, 2012-2013
P R O D U C T I O N W O R K
T H E A T E R P R O D U C I N G
OKLAHOMA CITY REPERTORY THEATER
VIETGONE (by Qui Nguyen, dir. Nikki DiLoreto), 2024
QUEENS OF SHEBA (by Jessica L. Hagan & Ryan Calais Cameron, dir by Jessica Kaliisa, in Association with the Under the Radar Festival), 2024
LOOKING FOR TIGER LILY (Created and Performed by Anthony Hudson), 2023
THE ANTELOPE PARTY (by Eric John Meyer, dir. Jesse Jou), 2023
THE BROTHERS SIZE (by Tarell Alvin McCraney, dir. Ato Blankson-Wood), 2023
SUPERSTITIONS (by Emily Zemba, dir. Kelly Kerwin), 2023
OTTO FRANK (by Roger Geunvuer Smith), in Association with The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, 2023
THE GREAT LEAP (by Lauren Yee, dir. Jessica Holt), 2022
BILLS 44TH (by Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck), 2022
SEARCH PARTY (by Inua Ellams), Benefit Performance, 2022
OF A MIND: OKLAHOMA CITY (created with Emily Zemba, Listen&Breathe, + Kevin McNamara), OKC Rep, 2022
PIANO TALES (created and performed by James & Jerome, dir. Andrew Scoville), 2022
AN EVENING WITH AN IMMIGRANT (created and performed by Inua Ellams), in Association with The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival, 2022
THE PUBLIC THEATER (Under the Radar listed under Festival Producing):
MAKE ME DOWN: SONGS FOR MAKING IT THROUGH ALIVE* By The HawtPlates (Jade Hicks, Kenita Miller-Hicks, and Justin Hicks), 2020
THE LINE* (Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen), Line Producer, The Public Theater Digital Summer Season, 2020
THE VAGRANT TRILOGY V. 2020 (Mona Mansour, dir. Mark Wing-Davey), (I got the show to Day 3 of tech before lockdown!)
A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY (Tony Kushner, dir. Oskar Eustis), 2019
SOFT POWER* (David Henry Hwang, Jeanine Tesori, dir. Leigh Silverman), 2019
WE’RE ONLY ALIVE FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME* (David Cale, dir. Robert Falls), 2019
GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY* (Conor McPherson), 2018
CYPRUS AVENUE (David Ireland, dir. Vicky Featherstone), 2018
MLIMA’S TALE* (Lynn Nottage, dir. Jo Bonney), 2018
BLACK LIGHT (Daniel Alexander Jones), 2018
HAIR TO HAMILTON, 50 Years of Revolutionary Musicals, 2017
LET IT SHINE (Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit), 2017
ADDITIONAL NEW YORK:
A SHINING LIGHT: An Online Benefit (Steve Cosson), The Civilians Theater Company, 2020
SELF PORTRAITS* (Phillip Howze, dir Stevie Walker-Webb), The Open Festival at BRIC Arts, 2019
LAZARUS Film Shoot (dir. Ivo Van Howe), New York Theatre Workshop, 2016
THE NEXT PAGE Reading Series, Atlantic Theater Company, 2009
YALE CABARET:
YALE SCHOOL OF DRAG (2nd & 3rd Annual), 2014 & 2015
LOOK UP, SPEAK NICELY, AND DON'T TWIDDLE YOUR FINGERS ALL THE TIME* (Emily Zemba, dir. Ato Blankson-Wood), 2014
MYSTERY BOY* (Chris Bannow & Helen Jaksch), 2014
WE FIGHT WE DIE (Timothy Guillot, dir by Jireh Holder), 2014
HAVE I NONE (Edward Bond, dir. Jessica Holt), 2014
DERIVATIVES* (by Jabari Brisport & Ensemble, dir. Cole Lewis), 2013
RADIO HOUR* (by Paula Bennett, Steve Brush, Tyler Keiffer), 2013
F E S T I V A L P R O D U C I N G
UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, 2021, A Free Festival On-Demand, Live Streamed, and On the Phone, 2021
Artists include: 600 Highwaymen; Whitney White + Peter Mark Kendall; Teatro Anonímo; Piehole, The Javaad Alipoor Company; Inua Ellams; The Devised Theater Working Group's Incoming!(Savon Bartley, Nile Harris, Miranda Haymon, Eric Lockley, Raelle Myrick-Hodges, Mia Rovegno, Justin Elizabeth Sayre, & Mariana Valencia)
ONASSIS FESTIVAL: DEMOCRACY IS COMING, The Public Theater, Joe’s Pub, LaMaMa, Astor Place, 2019
Artists include Lena Kitsopoulou; Euripides Laskaridis; 600 Highwaymen; Choir! Choir! Choir! w/ Patti Smith.
UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, 2019, The Public, Joe's Pub, Skirball, BRIC Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art, SVA Film, 2019
Artists include: Tania El Khoury; Manual Cinema; Flaco Navaja; New Saloon; Lola Arias; Rude Mechs; Ifeoma Fafunwa; Plexus Polaire; The Kilbanes; Peter Mills Weiss and Julia Mounsey; James & Jerome; The Devised Theater Working Group's Incoming! (Sean Donovan, Aya Ogawa, Lorelei Ramirez, Sam Dash with Caitlin Ryan O'Connell, Eva Von Schweinitz, & Whitney White)
UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, 2018, The Public, Joe's Pub, Skirball, BRIC Arts, Japan Society, LaMaMa, 2018
Artists include: Toshi Reagon & Bernice Johnson Reagon; Teatro El Público; Andrew Schneider; Nature Theater of Oklahoma; Dickie Beau; Wang Chong; Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen; David Cale; Adam Gopnik; Ayesha Jordan & Charlotte Brathwaite; Satoshi Miyagi; Motus; Choir! Choir! Choir! w/ David Byrne; Janek Turkowski; Roger Guenveur Smith & CalArts Center for New Performance; Split Britches; The Devised Theater Working Group's Incoming! (George & Co.; harunalee; Kareem M. Lucas; Modesto Flako Jimenez; Annie Saunders with Becca Wolff; and Peter Mills Weiss & Julia Mounsey.
POP! A POP-UP PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL, The Party Line/Various Venues & Public Spaces in Bushwick, Brooklyn, 2016
Artists listed under Performance Curation
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND IDEAS, 2015
Artists include: Mark Morris Dance Group; Angélique Kidjo with Ibeyi; Darlene Love; Dan Zanes; Kurt Elling with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra; Pistolera; Lucinda Williams; Mary McBride; Passion for Bach and Coltrane Imani Winds; Plena Libre with Carlos Santiago y Su Momento Musical
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND IDEAS, 2014
Artists include: Lalah Hathaway & Ruben Studdard; Dianne Reeves with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra; Regina Carter Southern Comfort; La Santa Cecilia with Nation Beat, The Gloaming; Bronze Radio Return; Brandy Clark; Martha Redbone Roots Project with Cry You One
SKETCHBOOK FESTIVAL (12th Annual), Collaboraction, 2012
Artists include: Dean Evans; Patrese D. McClain + Jessica Ellis; Meredith Miller; Dani Bryant + Erica Barnes; Beatrice Bosco + Lloyd Brodnax King; Ike Holter; The New Colony; Carlos Murillo; Harlotry & Necromancy Appreciation Society; Kevin O'Donnell + Kasey Foster; Lee August Praley; Kristin Idaszak; Greg Moss
STRAPPED Play Festival, The Inconvenience, Chicago 2010
Writers include: Chelsea Marcantel; Ike Holter; Caitlin Montayne Parrish; Mackenzie Yeager; Aaron Weissman; Mark Mason E. Frances Cowles
POST-TRAUMATIC Play Festival, The Inconvenience, Chicago 2009
Writers include: Ike Holter; Caitlin Montayne Parrish; Jason Gray Platt; Mark Mason
P E R F O R M A N C E C U R A T I O N
SALONATHON, "SalonathOnline," 2020
Artists include: Ato Blankson-Wood; Dickie Beau; Whitney White; Arturo Soria; Modesto Flako Jimenez; Stephanie Hayes; Chance Bone; Chalia La Tour; Michael Breslin + Patrick Foley; Jaime Sunwoo; Mariana Sanchez; Emily Zemba; Raymond J. Lee; Audrey Frischman; Bradley Tejeda; Cornelius Davidson
UNDER THE RADAR'S DEVISED THEATER WORKING GROUP, 2019
Artists include: Sean Donovan; Aya Ogawa; Lorelei Ramirez; Sam Max with Caitlin Ryan O'Connell; Eva Von Schweinitz; Whitney White
DESSERT: A QUEER PERFORMANCE SERIES, Next Door at New York Theater Workshop, 2018
Artists include: Ryan Haddad; Joseph Keckler; Theda Hammel; Krishna Istha; Brian Rady; Sam Max; Hannah Hiaasen; Maybe Burke; Seth Timothy Larson; Abigail Entsminger; Shannon Matesky's Queer Abstract; Sylvan Oswald's High Winds with Jerome Ellis
UNDER THE RADAR'S DEVISED THEATER WORKING GROUP, 2018
Artists include: George & Co.; harunalee; Kareem M. Lucas; Modesto Flako Jimenez; Annie Saunders with Becca Wolff; Peter Mills Weiss & Julia Mounsey
POP! A POP-UP PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL, The Party Line/Various Venues & Public Spaces in Bushwick, Brooklyn, 2016
Artists include: Ato Blankson-Wood; Shannon Matesky; James Cusati-Moyer; Hunter Kaczorowski with Lauren Dubowski; Lydia Blaisdell; Jack Ramsey; 100 Owls in a Room; Jax Jackson; Lauren Zeftel; Jacob Perkins; Brian Rady; Celeste Arias; Doll Parts; The Middle Voice; Phillip Howze; Tom Pecinka
SALONATHON, "Applied Studies Showcase" weekly series, Chicago's Beauty Bar, 2011-2012
Artists include: Joel Kim Booster; Ike Holter; Lady/Watch (Tien Tran + Kieran Kredell); The Fly Honeys; Les Enfants Terrible; Philip Sparkle; Sam Deutsch; Shannon Matesky; Egg and Alfie: Detectives at Large; The Untitled French Ye-Ye Show; Kasey Foster; Blake Russell; Tif Bullard; Calamity West
D R A M A T U R G Y
SUPERSTITIONS* (by Emily Zemba, dir. Jenna Worsham), The Pool/New Ohio Theater, 2021 (Dramaturgy Consultant)
SELF PORTRAITS* (by Phillip Howze, dir. Margot Bordelon), Lincoln Center Education, 2016
DEER AND THE LOVERS* (by Emily Zemba, dir. Sara Holdren), 10th Carlotta Festival, Yale School of Drama, 2015
THE SEAGULL (dir. Jessica Holt) Iseman Theater/Director’s Thesis, Yale School of Drama, 2014
TINY BOYFRIEND* (by Phillip Howze, dir. Sara Holdren), Langston Hughes Festival, Yale School of Drama, 2013
LOTTIE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON* (by Amelia Roper, dir. Ethan Heard), 8th Carlotta Festival, Yale School of Drama, 2013
THE TWINS WOULD LIKE TO SAY (dir. Whitney Dibo & Lauren Dubowski), Yale Cabaret, 2013
HIT THE WALL* (by Ike Holter, dir. Eric Hoff), Steppenwolf's Garage Repertory Series, 2012
OBLIVION* (by Carly Mensch, dir. Matt Miller), Steppenwolf’s First Look Repertory of New Work, 2011
LOOM* (by Ike Holter, dir. Dav Yendler), The Inconvenience’s Fresh Meat Reading Series, 2011
HURRAH FOR THE NEXT WHO DIES* (by Mark Mason, dir. Damon Kiely), The Athenaeum, The Theatre School at DePaul, 2008
THE SPARROW* (Conceived by Nathan Allen with words by Chris Mathews and Jake Minton), The House Theatre of Chicago & Steppenwolf Garage, 2007
HAMLET (dir. Lisa Portes), Merle Reskin Theater, The Theatre School at DePaul, 2007
THE TRIAL (dir. Dexter Bullard), Merle Reskin Theater, The Theatre School at DePaul, 2006
THE BFG (dir. Ernie Nolan), Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences, 2006
D I R E C T I N G
SUPERSTITIONS (by Emily Zemba), OKC Rep, 2023
OF A MIND: OKLAHOMA CITY* (created with Emily Zemba, Listen&Breathe, + Kevin McNamara), OKC Rep, 2022
COME BACK RICHARD SIMMONS* (conceived with and written by Emily Zemba), Ars Nova’s ANT Fest, 2017
WE KNOW EDIE LA MINX HAD A GUN* (written with Helen Jaksch and Emily Zemba), Brooklyn's Standard Toykraft, The Party Line, 2016
ROSE AND THE RIME (by Nathan Allen, Chris Mathews, Jake Minton), Yale Cabaret, 2014
WE KNOW EDIE LA MINX HAD A GUN* (written with Helen Jaksch and Emily Zemba), Yale Cabaret, 2013
VIGILANTE* (by Ike Holter), Collaboraction's Sketchbook XII, Chicago, 2012
KURT VONNEGUT’S 2BRØ2B* (co-adaptor with Ike Holter) City Lit Art of Adaptation Festival, Chicago, 2011
CHICAGOLAND THE MUSICAL* (by Ike Holter), Chopin Theatre, The Inconvenience, Chicago, 2010
A S S I S T A N T D I R E C T I N G:
ANGELS IN AMERICA: PARTS 1 AND 2 (by Tony Kushner, dir. Charles Newell), Court Theatre, Chicago, 2012
ODRADEK* (by Brett Nevue, dir. Dexter Bullard), The House Theatre of Chicago, 2010
GIRLS VS. BOYS* (by Nathan Allen, Chris Mathews, Jake Minton, dir. Nathan Allen), The House Theatre of Chicago, 2010
HATFIELD AND McCOY* (by Shawn Pfautsch, dir. Matthew Hawkins), The House Theatre of Chicago, 2007
*world premiere