BIO
Kirsten is an award-winning theatre director, educator and documentary filmmaker. Current theater credits include The Undeniable Sound of Right Now by Laura Eason at Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre and Women’s Project Theatre and Macbeth at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Kirsten is the co-creator and director of CPS Shakespeare! and was just awarded the President’s 2014 Award for Youth Programs in the Arts & Humanities at a ceremony at the White House with Michelle Obama. Her documentary film, The Homestretch, will appear on PBS’ Independent Lens on April 13, 2015 and she was recently awarded the ‘2015 Spirit of Youth Award” from the National Runaway Safeline for her work on the film.
New York theatre credits include shows for Women’s Project Theatre, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre & Piece by Piece Productions (off-broadway),The Shakespeare Society, Roots&Branches Theatre (an intergenerational theatre company), Rising Phoenix Rep, The Juilliard School and Lincoln Center. Kirsten also directed “Big Love” in Washington D.C. (Helen Hayes nomination for Best Direction), and the D.C. premieres of “The Clockmaker" and "Boy Gets Girl" by Rebecca Gillman (Helen Hayes Nomination, Best Direction) as well as the Midwest/Chicago premiere of Mamet’s "Boston Marriage" (After Dark Award, Best Director).
Recent documentary film credits include: “The Homestretch” a feature film about homeless high school students in Chicago Public Schools which was supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the Sundance Institute and will appear on PBS Independent Lens on April 13, 2015 as part of the American Graduate Initiative with Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She is also in development on “The Girl With the Rivet Gun” an animated new media film project based on Rosie the Riveter.
Kirsten is a Fellow at the Sundance Documentary Institute and a graduate of the Master’s Directing program at Juilliard. She is the former Associate Artistic Director of Roots&Branches and is a proud member of Rising Phoenix Repertory. Prior to living in New York, Kirsten directed for many years in Chicago and was the former Artistic Director of Strawdog Theatre.