Kelly F. Burr is a theater professional with a passion for Shakespeare, holding a Master’s Degree in Shakespeare and Theatre from The Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham, U.K. Her academic work centers on protofeminism and gender roles in Shakespeare’s plays, with her dissertation, “Second to None: Considering Bianca, Hero, and Emilia,” published to the Shakespeare Institute Library in 2019. (Academia.edu.)
Burr has participated in a variety of prestigious workshops, including masterclasses with the Royal Shakespeare Company, performance technique courses at Yale School of Drama, and Shakespearean text analysis at the University of Hartford.
In her professional career, she has written, directed and produced numerous plays, including Passed Tents and Three Tries for The International Human Rights Festival in NYC, On Your Side for the SOOP to Nuts Short Play Contest, and If We Really Were Witches, an audio theater and web series, which in its screenplay form, received its first laurels as a finalist in the Bridgeport Filmfest script contest. Her productions for the Footelights Theater Company and Sterling Lion Theater Company in Connecticut include classics like Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Winter’s Tale.
Her writing and editing work includes modern adaptations and gender-reversed versions of Shakespeare’s plays, such as Macbeth, Matriarch and Lear. She has also created works designed to introduce Shakespeare to new audiences, including Shakespeare for the Completely Uninterested.
A dedicated nonprofit leader, she has founded and led various theater organizations, including Neighbors for Neighbors, Sterling Lion Theater Company, and Footelights Theater Company, and others. Her leadership experience extends to roles like Executive Director, Artistic Director, Producer, and Founder of multiple theater groups across Connecticut, with a focus on education and fostering community engagement through the arts.
She has worked as a Shakespeare specialist and mentor, guiding artists through the exploration of Shakespeare’s works. As the owner and director of Scene 24 Productions since 2020, she continues to shape the theater world through her creative vision and dedication to the craft.