Staff

C. MICHAEL WRIGHT - Producing Artistic Director

Michael became MCT's Producing Artistic Director in the fall of 2005. Since then, he's directed THE FEW, LOBBY HERO, SLOWGIRL, FALLEN ANGELS, THE TRAIN DRIVER, THE GOOD FATHER, LEND ME A TENOR (a collaboration with Marquette University), UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL, COLLECTED STORIES (with Forward Theater Company), HEROES, DRIVING MISS DAISY, THE LION IN WINTER (with Marquette University), THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES, THE SWEETEST SWING IN BASEBALL, PICNIC (with UW-Milwaukee), BROOKLYN BOY, RABBIT HOLE, TALLEY'S FOLLY, TRYING, TALKING HEADS, A WALK IN THE WOODS and JOE EGG, as well as three original works: OCTOBER, BEFORE I WAS BORN, THE DALY NEWS and DICKENS IN AMERICA (which he also directed at American Players Theatre). From 1997-2005, he served as Associate Artistic Director of Next Act Theatre, where a long list of directing credits includes THE RETREAT FROM MOSCOW, "MASTER HAROLD"…and the boys, STONES IN HIS POCKETS, VISITING MR. GREEN, ROUGH CROSSING, A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER and HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE (a co-production with Madison Repertory Theatre). Since moving to Wisconsin in 1988, Michael has been responsible for more than 75 productions, twenty of which have been named on "Best of" lists in Milwaukee and Madison. Other favorites have been THE STORY OF MY LIFE for Milwaukee Opera Theatre, THE SYRINGA TREE for American Players Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks and Delaware Theatre Company, LOBBY HERO for Madison Repertory Theatre, 110 IN THE SHADE for Skylight Music Theatre, AUGUST SNOW for American Inside Theatre and WAITING FOR VERN for Collision Theatre Ensemble.

Michael has been acting professionally for 40 years and has appeared all across the country in regional theatres such as Seattle Repertory Theatre, Guthrie Theater, McCarter Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, American Players Theatre, Barter Theatre, StageWest, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Riverside Shakespeare Company, GeVa Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. He played Hally in Athol Fugard's "MASTER HAROLD"...and the boys on Broadway, in Israel and in the national tour with James Earl Jones, which won him a Dramalogue Award in Los Angeles. His most recent performances have been as Vanya in VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, Serge in 'ART', Philip in MAURITIUS and Dr. Alfred Feldmann in DUET FOR ONE here at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and as Sancho Panza in MAN OF LA MANCHA at Skylight Music Theatre.

Michael has taught theatre privately and at the UW-Whitewater, Marquette University, Carroll College, First Stage Academy, Alverno College, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Theatre for a New Audience (New York, NY).

In 2009, Michael was honored with an "Artist of the Year" award by the City of Milwaukee Arts Board.

KIRSTEN FINN- Managing Director

Kirsten is embarking on her ninth season as managing director of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. Previously, Kirsten served as a major gifts officer for Milwaukee Public Television Friends and ran her own development consulting firm, KM Creative. She has been managing director of Wild Space Dance Company (where she currently is vice president of the board of directors) and development director of the Florentine Opera and the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. Kirsten holds a bachelor's and master's degree in theatre and communications from Marquette University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).

MARCELLA KEARNS - Associate Artistic Director

Marcella is a Milwaukee-based actor, theatre educator, and coach. She teaches acting and theatre skills to students level K-4 through lifelong learners as an independent coach and as an adjunct instructor for Carthage College, First Stage, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater.  In July 2013, she joined the staff of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre as lead educator/literary manager, and was promoted to associate artistic director in 2016. Marcy earned an MFA in acting from the University of South Carolina and completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Vienna, Austria, where she studied dramatic literature and taught primary and secondary student-level EFL as a "native speaker." In 2008, she was the recipient of a TCG Observership Program grant to study theatres' approaches to teacher training. The former education director of Milwaukee Shakespeare, Marcy spearheaded the company's multi-year participation in the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare For a New Generation initiative.

BRANDY KLINE - Production Manager/Company Manager

Before joining Milwaukee Chamber Theatre as Production Manager/Company Manager in 2007, Brandy worked in various capacities of stage management, props and stage crew for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Bialystock & Bloom, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Alverno College and UWM. After receiving a BA in Theatre from Lawrence University, she studied stage management and props at Milwaukee Repertory Theater and worked in stage management, costume crafts and run crew at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Other adventures include being a house technician at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and props intern at the Spoleto Festival USA. Brandy is a member of Actors' Equity Association as a stage manager.

MATTHEW REDDIN - Marketing Director

Matthew Reddin joined Milwaukee Chamber Theatre in July 2016. Previously, he served as arts editor for the Wisconsin Gazette. He has also worked as a theatre critic and journalist for multiple other publications in the Milwaukee market, including a role as managing editor for the former online arts magazine Third Coast Digest. He has a BA in journalism and writing-intensive English from Marquette University.