Sheri Herren

The Keegan Theatre

Keegan's founding members share a deep personal commitment to producing theatre the way we believe theatre should be done – by allowing actors to bring their own experience and energy to the process and encouraging them to explore the text freely; by hiring directors who promote such exploration and who are committed to an open, participatory process; by maintaining an artistic sensibility that favors story over "concept," clarity over production, and honesty over gimmick; and by selecting works by playwrights who have captured the poetry and rawness of language, playwrights unafraid to explore the recesses of the human condition. By holding fast to these principles, we believe that the theatre we create reaches our audiences in a distinctive, compelling way. The Irish heritage of Keegan's Producing Artistic Director, Mark A. Rhea, played a pivotal role in the direction the company has developed, and in the uniquely important niche we have carved out in the theater community. Rhea's intense personal connection to and passion for the Irish people inspired The Keegan Theatre to include in our mission statement a commitment to produce at least one Irish play per season. This commitment has deepened and grown over time to become a defining characteristic of Keegan, a legacy that continues to grow as Keegan's relationships with our colleagues in deepen. Planting the seeds of opportunity in a fertile creative mind, nurturing a young artist to his or her full potential – this is hard work, work that requires an open mind, patience, and dedication. We believe this work is vital to the growth of the community at large. Keegan staff are characterized by our personal experience in and passion for youth development. We are committed to the development of the community by aggressively searching for and nurturing new, local talent and by working with local educational institutions to identify and develop budding artists.