Page 12 - STA SS Woman of the World Playbill 090920 FINAL Rev

WHO’S WHO

KENN MCLAUGHLIN (Artistic Director) and commissioned several new theatre
The 2020-2021 season marks Kenn works including Brother Can You Spare
McLaughlin’s fifteenth season as Stages’ a Dime: The Social Conscience of the
artistic leader, following five successful American Musical, The Way You Look
years as the theatre’s Managing Director. Tonight, Straight on ‘til Morning, and a
Kenn has produced more than 100 new adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s
productions, including record-breaking To Be Young, Gifted and Black. Kenn also
hits like The Marvelous Wonderettes co-founded The Wallpaper Project, an
and Late Nite Catechism series; The annual oral history performance program
Great American Trailer Park Musical in rural Ohio. Kenn has taught workshops
and revivals of the theatre’s landmark for the Center for Literature and Medicine
original musical Always…Patsy Cline; as and has twice presented workshops
well as pivotal world and U.S. premieres at the National Council of Teachers of
such as De Kus, Black Pearl Sings, An English. In 2018 Kenn was guest speaker
American Brat, Miss Teen nine original to the Academic Sympoisum of the
Pantomime productions, and The Great Texas Educational Theatre Association.
American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. In Houston, Kenn has taught classes
He has directed over 30 shows for Stages. in creativity at Rice University and in
Highlights include: Auntie Mame, Road directing at Sam Houston State University,
Show, Grey Gardens, Full Gallop, The as well as teaching diversity awareness
Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in to cadets at the Houston Police Academy
the Universe, Mack and Mabel, Speech and serving as a guest lecturer for Harris
and Debate, The Man Who Shot Liberty County’s Department of Education CASE
Valance, Stupid Fucking Bird, The Blonde, program. He has served as chair of the
The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead capital campaign and of the stewardship
and the world premiere of Miss Teen. committee of First Congregational Church
He has also written the book for two of of Houston where he has also served on
Stages’ hit musicals: Panto Mother Goose the long-range planning and education
and A Midnight Clear both with music by committees. Kenn completed the Executive
composer David Nehls. This season, Kenn Non-Profit Leaders program through the
has directed The Doyle and Debbie Show, Graduate School of Business at Stanford
Salt, Root and Roe, The Fantasticks and University and holds a BFA in acting from
will direct the world premiere of Hook’s The Theatre School, DePaul University..
Tale. Beyond Houston, Kenn’s musical, I’ll
Be Home for Christmas (also written with
David Nehls) received its World Premiere
production at the Arvada Center for the
Arts and Humanities in Denver and was
nominated for a Henry Award for Best New
Play/Musical. Outside of Houston, Kenn
recently directed The Threepenny Opera
for The Santa Fe University of Art and
Design and Sexy Laundry for the renowned
Peterborough Players. Prior to his arrival
at Stages, Kenn spent eleven years at
Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland.
At Great Lakes, Kenn helped to build the
largest theatre-based education program
for a performing arts institution in the
state of Ohio. He directed the company’s
award-winning School Residency Program