Courtesy RMRT
Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre has hired Will Kiley and Samantha Beach Kiley as the theater’s education directors for the summer.
The theater says the two were a major asset to its youth theatre summer camps last year, and they should transition seamlessly into the new roles with their experience.
“After just one summer working with RMRT’s Youth Theatre program, I am confident that these two are well-positioned to bring us into the next decade,” Executive Artistic Director Michael Querio said in a news release. “Kids of all ages are going to really enjoy working with this dynamic duo. I look forward to our current and future families meeting Will and Sam and getting to know them.”
According to the theater, Will Kiley specializes in directing professional theatre by and for young people. He’s one of five directors developing new plays for The Kennedy Center’s New Visions / New Voices Festival and was awarded the 2019 Don and Elizabeth Doyle Special Recognition Award for his work in youth theatre by The American Alliance for Theatre and Education.
As an actor, Will Kiley toured a play written by veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to military bases and performed for the United Nations in Kenya. He has also acted in the Edinborough Fringe Festival in Scotland and appeared as an overzealous EMT on NBC’s “Chicago Fire.”
In May, Will Kiley will complete his master’s degree in drama and theatre for youth and communities at the University of Texas at Austin. He’ll also be certified to teach Secondary English Language Arts and K-12 Theatre Arts.
Samantha Beach Kiley is an Austin-based writer and performer with numerous acting and writing credits and experience teaching. Her teaching experience includes playwriting, voice and movement and she also works as a storyteller in partnership with churches and a nonprofit. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Actors Theatre of Louisville apprenticeship program.
“We’re thrilled to be stepping into a treasured program in a community that deeply values the arts,” Sam Beach Kiley said in the release. “We believe that no matter what students go on to do, a theatre education will be of great value. It encourages creativity, promotes teamwork, and builds confidence. We look forward to stewarding this program in such a way that it amplifies both the talent and compassion of these young people.”
She plans to be in the Grand Lake administrative office for youth theatre registration beginning Feb. 21.