Tennessee Playwrights Studio Announces Retirement Of Co-Founder & Co-Director Kenley Smith

Tennessee Playwrights Studio (TPS) announces retirement of co-founder/co-director Kenley Smith. Read his statement along with thoughts from TPS theatre artists below:

Kenley Smith (the recent 2024 Theaterati of the Year Recipient!) who co-founded and co-directed TPS alongside Molly Breen, is ready to retire, and is now an official emeritus co-director of TPS. Don't worry! He'll still be writing his award-winning plays and supporting behind-the-scenes of the TPS fellowship program and theatre productions, he'll just be spending much MORE time relaxing both in Nashville and on the beaches of the South Carolina coast. You can continue to follow him and his playwriting work at kenleysmith.com. Molly Breen will continue as director of TPS. Please join us in thanking Kenley for his contributions to the theatre community in Nashville and beyond.

Of his tenure at TPS and retirement, Kenley said:

"Who remembers Milton Berle?

Many of you won't, but I certainly do. I watched almost 45 years ago when the one-time "Mr. Television" hosted Saturday Night Live, and I still remember the disaster. Painfully out of touch with the show's aesthetic, he berated the audience for not knowing who George Burns was, and that was perhaps the least of his offenses. I still hold closely the lesson I learned that night: Don't become Milton Berle.

My life has encompassed seeming disparate phases - fiction writer, high-performance driving instructor, business owner, spiritual/holistic center manager, playwright, director, board president, producing artistic director and, finally (and the reason you're reading this), director of Tennessee Playwrights Studio with Molly Breen. Some overlapped; each held its purpose until I learned what I needed and moved on to the next. After passing a milestone birthday last year, I realized the same holds true for TPS.

We all know that change is inevitable. In the arts, I believe that it's necessary. My own aesthetic formed in another century, for heaven's sake. So many brilliant young writers now clamor for their shot, and it's not my place to stand in the way. It's my place to listen and keep learning.

As my new bride, Molly, steps in to run the show, I know TPS rests in the best hands possible for growth and relevance. I love the potential in the 2024 cohort she just chose, and I continue to support her and the program. I'm proud of the work that TPS did on our watch, and I feel that I'm going out on a high note with the success of FAN ME WITH A BRICK last season. I'll still be writing, of course, and one unproduced play in particular waits for its opportunity to find an audience. FAN ME may find new life in Virginia, and I'm working with Victoria Persinger Ferguson, among others, to help make that happen.

Aside from that, you can find me dreaming about Godzilla in a recliner near you, or perhaps standing beside an expressway and yelling for the cars to slow down. But hey, at least I'm not Milton Berle."

TPS theatre artists Preston Crowder, Alicia Haymer & Shawn Whitsell said of their colleague, "Kenley is one of the most selfless and fearless artists I've had the pleasure of knowing. I owe so much of my artistic growth and journey to Kenley and TPS. From the bottom of my heart, I could never say thank you enough. Your plays have reminded me to continue to be brave and bold in my work and I'm glad Tennessee and every theater community you've touched has had the opportunity to experience your immense talent and heart."

Alicia Haymer said, "Kenley, or my Writing Dad, as I like to call him has had an invaluable influence on how I approach playwriting. His calm demeanor and kind encouragement has always pushed me forward when I needed it."

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