Page 13 - Panto Buttons Playbill 121820FINALx3

WHO’S WHO

Law & Order & award-winning Raphael – Be Home for Christmas (also written with
A Mortal God. Feature Films: King David, David Nehls) received its World Premiere
The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, Buster, Columbus production at the Arvada Center for the
– The Discovery, The Pistachio Nut, Arts and Humanities in Denver and was
When You Were Here, Senet, Bus Pass to nominated for a Henry Award for Best New
Peterborough and You Again. RADIO work Play/Musical. Outside of Houston, Kenn
includes T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land & recently directed The Threepenny Opera
The Four Quartets, Anthony & Cleopatra for The Santa Fe University of Art and
(Cleopatra), King Lear (Cordelia), The Design and Sexy Laundry for the renowned
Winter’s Tale (Hermione/Perdita), Hamlet Peterborough Players. Prior to his arrival
(Ophelia) & Fugitive Pieces (Naomi). at Stages, Kenn spent eleven years at
Genevieve is married to screenwriter, Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland.
Michael Walker, & they are humble At Great Lakes, Kenn helped to build the
servants to their two Bengal Cats! largest theatre-based education program
for a performing arts institution in the
KENN MCLAUGHLIN (Book and Lyrics/ state of Ohio. He directed the company’s
Scenic Designer/Artistic Director) award-winning School Residency Program
The 2020-2021 season marks Kenn and commissioned several new theatre
McLaughlin’s fifteenth season as Stages’ works including Brother Can You Spare
artistic leader, following five successful a Dime: The Social Conscience of the
years as the theatre’s Managing Director. American Musical, The Way You Look
Kenn has produced more than 100 Tonight, Straight on ‘til Morning, and a
productions, including record-breaking new adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s
hits like The Marvelous Wonderettes To Be Young, Gifted and Black. Kenn also
and Late Nite Catechism series; The co-founded The Wallpaper Project, an
Great American Trailer Park Musical annual oral history performance program
and revivals of the theatre’s landmark in rural Ohio. Kenn has taught workshops
original musical Always…Patsy Cline; as for the Center for Literature and Medicine
well as pivotal world and U.S. premieres and has twice presented workshops
such as De Kus, Black Pearl Sings, An at the National Council of Teachers of
American Brat, Miss Teen nine original English. In 2018 Kenn was guest speaker
Pantomime productions, and The Great to the Academic Sympoisum of the
American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. Texas Educational Theatre Association.
He has directed over 30 shows for Stages. In Houston, Kenn has taught classes
Highlights include: Auntie Mame, Road in creativity at Rice University and in
Show, Grey Gardens, Full Gallop, The directing at Sam Houston State University,
Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in as well as teaching diversity awareness
the Universe, Mack and Mabel, Speech to cadets at the Houston Police Academy
and Debate, The Man Who Shot Liberty and serving as a guest lecturer for Harris
Valance, Stupid Fucking Bird, The Blonde, County’s Department of Education CASE
The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead program. He has served as chair of the
and the world premiere of Miss Teen. capital campaign and of the stewardship
He has also written the book for two of committee of First Congregational Church
Stages’ hit musicals: Panto Mother Goose of Houston where he has also served on
and A Midnight Clear both with music by the long-range planning and education
composer David Nehls. This season, Kenn committees. Kenn completed the Executive
has directed The Doyle and Debbie Show, Non-Profit Leaders program through the
Salt, Root and Roe, The Fantasticks and Graduate School of Business at Stanford
will direct the world premiere of Hook’s University and holds a BFA in acting from
Tale. Beyond Houston, Kenn’s musical, I’ll The Theatre School, DePaul University.