Education:
- M.A. in Shakespeare and Theatre, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. (Concentration on women, protofeminism, and gender roles in Shakespeare’s work. With Merit.)
- B.S. in Theatre Arts, Charter Oak State University, New Britain, CT. (3.5 GPA.)
Award: Vermont Playwrights Award, 2022
Recently Produced Original Work:
If We Really Were Witches, Performed at The Rat, NYC; Scranton Fringe Festival; Under St. Marks, NYC; The Tank, NYC; Anticipated: Edinburgh Festival Fringe (August, Paradise Green)
A Very Merry Breakdown, The Chain, NYC
Passed Tents, The International Human Rights Art Festival at The Tank, NYC
Center Street Wash & Fold, The Secret Theatre, NYC
Three Tries, The International Human Rights Art Festival at The Tank, NYC & East/West Playfest, CT
Ebbie Scrooge, The Grange, Oxford, CT
The New Speed Dating, Peoria Center for The Performing Arts, Phoenix, AZ
On Your Side, SOOP to Nuts Short Play Contest, NYC
Equity Readings:
Rough Draft, New Circle Theatre Company, NYC
Ladies’ Room, New Circle Theatre Company, NYC
Other Relevant Experience:
- Producing Artistic Director of Scene 24 Productions, a production company run primarily by women/folx that creates empowering, diverse, and positively-focused content showcasing women. Scene 24 is a teaching company with a mission to train females/folx in production jobs. (Scenetwentyfourproductions.com.)
- New Work Development Program: An ongoing workshop program to help playwrights from outside of the NYC area get their work in the city.
ACADEMIC RESUME
(Papers available on Academia.edu published as Kelly Nelsen-Pedersen)
Classes & Workshops:
The Royal Shakespeare Company: Masterclasses, directing workshop with John Barton and Greg Doran.
University of Hartford: Shakespearean text analysis.
Yale School of Drama: Technique, character development.
Western Connecticut State University: Technical theater, history of theater.
University of New Haven: Directing, performance technique.
Albertus Magnus College: Acting and directing.
Dissertation:
“Second to None: Considering Bianca, Hero, and Emilia”
This dissertation seeks to explore and draw conclusions on the characterization of three of Shakespeare’s secondary female characters: Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew, Emilia in Othello, and Hero in Much Ado About Nothing.
Peer-Reviewed Research Papers (as Kelly Nelsen-Pedersen):
What is the Existential Potential of Experiencing Shakespeare in the Lives of Those Who Read, See, or Perform Him?:
Trump as Caesar and the Media as a Tide in the Affairs of Men
Margaret Webster: Broadway Shakespeare Director, Gay Female & Civil Rights Advocate in 1940s America
What We Can Learn About Shakespeare’s Sense of Genre by Comparing The Merchant of Venice to Its Sources
What is Gained by Present Day Original Practices at Shakespeare’s Globe
The Presence of the Devil in the Language of Macbeth
The Processes of Developing Sir Thomas More for the Stage
Master’s Degree in Shakespeare and Theatre, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, Stratford-Upon-Avon, U.K. (Concentration on protofeminism and gender roles.)
Dissertation: (Published under Kelly Nelsen-Pedersen to the Shakespeare Institute Library, Stratford-Upon-Avon, U.K.) “Second to None: Considering Bianca, Hero, and Emilia”, 2019.
Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts, Charter Oak State University, Connecticut.
Classes and Workshops:
The Royal Shakespeare Company: John Barton, Gregory Doran, Masterclasses in Shakespeare performance, Shakespeare directing workshop at the RSC.
University of Hartford: Dr. Humphrey Tonkin, Shakespearean text analysis.
Yale School of Drama: Performance technique, character development.
Western Connecticut State University: Technical theater, history of theater.
University of New Haven: Louis Burke, Directing, performance technique, Shakespeare.
Albertus Magnus College: Al Defabio, Dr. Susan Cole, Acting and directing, play and text analysis, Shakespeare.