Katie Keddell

Director Educator Dramaturg

ABOUT

Katie Keddell is a neurodivergent playwright, director, dramaturg, and theatre educator who has worked in educational, non-profit, community, and professional theatre settings for over 15 years. Katie recently finished their MFA in Directing at the University of Idaho with a focus on sustainable, consent-based, and decentralized theatre practices. Katie is an artist who specializes in original theatre works, accessibility, viewpoints, and heightened texts.

Directing credits include the Youth Production Ensemble of Everyman Theatre, Chesapeake Shakespeare’s Macbeth, site-specific Romeo and Juliet, Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged and Men on Boats for Cohesion Theatre Company. She served as the Devising Dramaturg for Body. a verbatim devised piece ,Capital Fringe Festival where she fused ethnographic interview with research and universal design.

Katie is a published author in the Youth Theatre and Kennedy Center Professional Papers journals for research on accessible arts programs. Katie was commissioned to write two plays for The River School in Washington, D.C. Katie has been a presenter for the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and Leadership Exchange for the Arts and Disability national conferences. Katie has an MA in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and is a member of Scholars without Borders for her work in Casablanca, Morocco.

As long as I have known her, Katie has been the epitome of thoughtful artistry. With an understanding that knowledge and language are constantly evolving, Katie has never let her creativity suffer from a lack of context. Katie thinks deeply about what she puts out into the world, I have never personally known an artist who could handle topics of intersectionality with such bold yet caring hands. Where some shy away from tough conversations, Katie jumps in head-first with insight and openness to new information. Where some hide their personal views behind dry and drab material, Katie writes from the heart and stands in her beliefs with true vision. Where some forget the inherent fallibility of being human and move quickly to judge, Katie listens with the aim of understanding.
Madeleine Barry: Director

Collaboration” is a word so often thrown around in the world of theater, but I have yet to meet someone who brings the energy that Katie does to a discussion. There is nothing that makes my job easier than a director who knows what they want, knows how to effectively explain those wants, but who also trusts that I’m the expert. Katie’s understanding of design, her audience, and her passion for art are not things to be taken for granted. In my opinion, Katie’s most remarkable quality as an educator and human being is her ability to foster inclusive and supportive environments.
Adam Visconti: Audio Engineer, Broadway Tour of Chicago

Katie is a fount of knowledge who inspired me to get curious, learn more, and share what I’ve learned with others. The content I gained from her in access presentations for teaching artists, professional development workshops, and in hands-on practice in the classroom shaped how I approach my work to this day. No professional development workshop I lead is complete without at least three examples of how Katie’s creative problem-solving shaped my understanding of what it means to truly facilitate an accessible and inclusive space.
Sam Mauceri: Director of Education and Access Programs, Chicago Children's Theatre

When I had received the contract for this show I was unsure I would take it. The hesitation was due to the grief that accompanied me.. I feared that same grief would creep into the rehearsal process. Everything I feared arose during this rehearsal process. I have a fear of stage combat, performing as a child, and acting out grief on stage. Most directors would push away or invalidate those fears. Not Keddell. Instead she embraced my fears and allowed me to explore them in a controlled environment. The outcome of Keddell's openness is a captivating show. In our show we explore the duality of grief. Grief is filled with melancholy and sadness. Grief is also filled with humor and levity. We achieved this duality of grief during the rehearsal process. Keddell also fostered a caring community within our cast. On stage there is deep love and affection which makes the moments of betrayal and loss more palpable. During the rehearsal process, Keddell would continue to utter “I trust you.” On the surface level, this simple sentence seems pedestrian and simple. “I trust you” and Keddell showing it in her actions made us believe we could trust ourselves. I grew as a human and as a performer under the tutelage of Keddell.
Amber Smithers: Professional Actor

Katie's play is...."nuanced, and emotionally resonant—an empathetic but believable portrayal of neurodiversity, workplace dysfunction, and the high cost of authenticity in a performative culture... able to balance satirical wit with deeply human moments, anchored by Sam’s quiet resilience and quirky but layered identity. The sensory realism in Sam’s routines, the critique of corporate "allyship," and the delicate shifting of relationships—especially with Annie—make for a compelling, character-driven story."
Rob Caisley: Department Chair University of Idaho

From the moment I met Katie, I have found her to be thoughtful, dynamic, and driven; “self-starter” is a word that would absolutely describe her. While at SDSU, Katie exhibited stellar work habits, critical thought, excellent ability as a researcher, writer, and theatre maker, and exemplary leadership. Among her MA cohort of five strong students, Katie rose to the top because of her ability, her vision, and her attitude. She strove for excellence, while cultivating community and connection; offering guidance and camaraderie rather than competition. I have had the opportunity to work closely with Katie as her advisor and as her professor. Katie also served as my graduate assistant on the final phase of a two-year performance-based research project, culminating in the performance of my original play at the 24th International Theatre Festival in Casablanca, Morocco. Katie was my key research assistant, production supervisor, and travel coordinator. In this capacity, she worked closely with me for a full school year, including the summer, where she traveled with me to Morocco for three weeks, supervising eight other graduate and undergraduate students.
Dani Bedau: Professor, San Diego State University