Katherine Kavanagh
Professor
Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts
EMAIL: kkavanagh@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: S-628N
Office Hours:
Phone: +1 (212) 776-6296
A tenured, full professor and theater-maker, Professor Kavanagh is a driving force in the BMCC Theater Program. An early architect of the program, Kavanagh served as Theater Program Director for ten years. Under her leadership, the program expanded to over 350 theater majors, the largest within the City University of New York. She established collaborations and long-lasting connections between BMCC and renowned theater artists and companies; developed new courses; collaborated with CUNY colleagues across disciplines (including Business and Economics), and actively mentors junior faculty in multiple departments through BMCC’s Teaching Academy.
Collaboration and social justice are major themes in Kavanagh’s work. Today, she continues to bridge students with the New York theater industry, where she has been an active member for more than twenty-five years. She has launched and advises on workplace readiness workshops, backstage opportunities, and educational partnerships with Theatre Development Fund, The Broadway League, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theatre, Soho Rep, WalkRunFly, Emursive (“Sleep No More”), Primary Stages, the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. In 2024, she is piloting a collaboration between her class “Theater Management: Exploring Theaters of New York and Beyond” with Signature Theatre and New York Theater Workshop. She partners with the companies above to systematically address inequity and inclusion in the theater. Creating experiential, hands-on classes is a priority for Kavanagh as she prepares students for a life in theater. Many BMCC theater majors have gone on to work with the companies named above and executive leaders from these companies are frequent guest lecturers in Kavanagh’s classes.
Additionally, Kavanagh has several global connections; including a twenty-year relationship with Northern Ireland’s Sole Purpose Production, a theater dedicated to social justice. In 2019 she was an associate producer for the award-winning production, “Blinkered,” at the Irish Arts Festival in NYC. She has toured original work to Israel, Scotland, and Nicaragua, and traveled to Northern Ireland, Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates for research projects.
Before her tenure at BMCC, Kavanagh served as the Director of Minor Latham Playhouse, where she produced international theater artists and taught in the Barnard-Columbia College Theater Department for ten years. She was awarded a multi-year grant by the Kauffman Foundation to design a course for women interested in arts leadership. During this time she devised and directed work throughout the East Village and helped launch the NYC Fringe Festival as the Director of Community Affairs in the inaugural year.
Kavanagh has written and devised several plays including; “13 Heavens and 9 Hells” (with Jess Lynn, published by Baker’s Plays), “Still Life w/ AIDS” (co-authored with Denny Partridge), and “The Four Freedoms” (devised for NYCFringe). In 2020, she wrote a musical “The Life of Mary Rogers: An Incredible, Plausible, Entirely Made Up, True Story from 1841” with Tariq Hamami and Thomas Hodges. She is currently developing it for publication and the professional stage. In recent years she directed “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani and “Everything Will Be Alright” by Tariq Hamami as part of BMCC’s season.
Kavanagh has served as a board member for the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center, BMCC’s Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Brooklyn Children’s Theater, and Manhattan Theatre Club’s Educational Council. A life-long learner, in 2018 she trained with Amanda Gronich and Tectonic Theater on devising nonfiction theater and in 2023 she participated in a course with New York Theater Workshop. In spring 2024, Kavanagh conducted research in Ireland and Northern Ireland, funded by a PSC-CUNY Research Grant.
Expertise
Producing Theater, Theatre Management; Collaboration; Generating New Work; Economics of Theater
Degrees
- MFA Columbia University’s School of the Arts, Creative Producing and Theatre Management
- BA Antioch College, Theater
Courses Taught
- The collaborative nature of the theatrical event will be explored in readings, presentations, play attendance, papers and creative projects. Contributions of the playwright, actor, director, designer, architect, critic, producer and audience will be investigated through selected periods, genres, theatre spaces and styles of production. The student's potential roles and responsibilities in creating theatre will be emphasized.
- This variable topics course provides practical training in rehearsal, performance and production practices, including acting, stage management, and running crew. The play to be produced will be announced at registration. Enrollment is by audition only. Course may be taken up to three times for credit.
- This course is designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge essential to execute stage management duties in preproduction work, rehearsal and performance of theatrical productions. Students will examine dramatic texts from the perspective of the stage manager. The stage management skills gained will also provide practical insights into many fields, including film, television, special events, and any business where timely, effective communication and coordination between groups is essential.
Prerequisite: THE 100 - Drawing from examples and occasional guest speakers from the New York theatre world, this course provides an introduction to the theory, principles and practices of theatre management. Students will create their own fictional theatre company, applying the principles of mission structure, and financial planning. Practical experience in management is gained through crew assignments. Oral and written presentations, resulting in a casework, aim to sharpen communication skills and prepare students for further study in theatre management.
Prerequisite: THE 100 - Students serve as interns for a production company in the entertainment industry. The work of the internship can include technical skills, front-of-house, marketing, performance, directing, choreography or other aspects of production, including publications and other media.
Prerequisite: THE 125 and departmental approval - This studio course is designed to provide students with advanced creative techniques to deepen their skills as performers. Topics are presented by visiting theatre practitioners in a workshop series. Focus is on creating original work in the following areas: devised work, dance and movement for actors, and solo work. Exercises and improvisation are designed to enhance concentration, imagination, resonance, movement and will culminate into performances after each section. Students will create and workshop performances with a focus on learning new approaches to language, structure and movement. The course emphasizes the collaborative nature of theatre. Appropriate research and reading will be required in addition to artistic assignments. Prerequisite: THE 110, THE 121 and audition or departmental permission
- This variable topics course provides practical training in an aspect of theatre production, such as lighting, scenic painting, or sound. The student will be introduced to the specialized tools and techniques of the topic, with an emphasis on safety. The major content of the course will focus on the needs of the current production, and the topic for each section announced at registration. May be taken for credit up to three times in three different topic areas.
Prerequisite: THE 121
Research and Projects
SoHo Rep Professor Kavanagh works with the leadership team to bring guest speakers into the classroom and students to SoHo Rep’s productions every season.
Industry Access Creating programs to enhance BMCC students’ theater education and exposure to the New York theater industry by collaborating with Manhattan Theatre Club and How to Stand Out to support BMCC students in becoming more competitive candidates for theater internships and jobs.
WalkRunFly Inc. Professor Kavanagh has partnered with this dynamic production company helmed by Warren Adams, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Jenifer Isaacson, to create practical opportunities and internships for students. Students have worked with Tony nominated artists assisting WRF in different departments such as stage management, technical support and dramaturgy. http://www.walkrunfly.com/
LOVE / YOUTH FOUNDING PRODUCERS: Akin Salawu, Bridgit Antoinette Evans, Chandra Thomas, Hope Salas, Kat Kavanagh, Winter Miller. CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Sinead O’Connor, Matisyahu, Antony and the Johnsons, Ben Jelen, Colman Domingo, Nilo Cruz, Lynn Nottage, Kia Corthron, David Henry Hwang, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Betty Shamieh, Staceyann Chin, Jessica Care Moore
In fall of 2010, 5 artists concerned with the alarming rise of suicides of LGBT youth asked a simple question: What would happen if we mobilized the very best resources of the theater, music, film and visual arts community to help students across the country address the prevalence of bullying in their schools and communities? LOVE/YOUTH is the answer to this question – a mass galvanization of nearly 100 high profile and emerging artists who created high-impact works of art and social media that explore the roots of bullying of LGBT youth and build a world where all children and youth are free to discover who they are without fear of persecution.
Second Generation at Second Stage Theatre Professor Kavanagh created a partnership with Second Stage Theatre (2009-2015) which allowed hundreds of BMCC students to attend the theater for free each year. Students networked with patrons and staff at the theater during the pre-show party and engaged in the Q & A with the creative staff of the production after the show. This program is on hiatus.
Publications
“13 Heavens and 9 Hells” with Jess Lynn. Baker’s Plays.
“The Role of Performing Arts Centers: A Case for the City University of New York” The International Journal of Learning
“Why David Ives Pulled the Rights to a Student Production and Other True Stories of Producing in Academic Programs” Conference Paper: Association for Theatre in Higher Education
“CUNY’s Creative Campus: Performing Arts Centers on the College Campus”, Conference Paper: Popular Culture Association Conference
“The Value of Social Entrepreneurship” Conference Paper: Association for Theatre in Higher Education
“Creative Fundraising Techniques” Conference: New York State Theatre Education Association
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
Articles on some of Professor Kavanagh’s productions, programs and research:
Theatre Program Debuts Original Musical Podcast, “The Life Of Mary Rogers” https://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2021/02/01/theatre-program-debuts-original-musical-podcast-the-life-of-mary-rogers/
BMCC Theatre Production Keeps Show’s Spirit Alive and Strengthens Community https://www-old.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/bmcc-theatre-production-keeps-shows-spirit-alive-and-strengthens-community/
Tony Nominee Brandon Victor Dixon Meets with BMCC Students https://www-old.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/tony-nominee-brandon-victor-dixon-meets-with-bmcc-students/
BMCC President Antonio Pérez attends the stunning BMCC production, Almost Maine, written by John Cariani and directed by Theatre Professor Katherine Kavanagh https://www-old.bmcc.cuny.edu/wp-content/newsletters/12152016.html
Bridging the Drama Divide/news/bridging-the-drama-divide/
The Curtain Rises /news/the-curtain-rises-on-chit-chat/
Toward a True Creative Campus /news/toward-a-true-creative-campus/
Broadway Speakers Bureau Attracts Theatre Students /news/broadway-speakers-bureau-attracts-theatre-students/
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/news/050108_bmcc_career_fair.shtml
Additional Information
Articles on some of Professor Kavanagh’s productions, programs and research:
Theatre Program Debuts Original Musical Podcast, “The Life Of Mary Rogers” https://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2021/02/01/theatre-program-debuts-original-musical-podcast-the-life-of-mary-rogers/
BMCC Theatre Production Keeps Show’s Spirit Alive and Strengthens Community https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/bmcc-theatre-production-keeps-shows-spirit-alive-and-strengthens-community/
Tony Nominee Brandon Victor Dixon Meets with BMCC Students https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/news/tony-nominee-brandon-victor-dixon-meets-with-bmcc-students/
BMCC President Antonio Pérez attends the stunning BMCC production, Almost Maine, written by John Cariani and directed by Theatre Professor Katherine Kavanagh https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/wp-content/newsletters/12152016.html
Bridging the Drama Divide/news/bridging-the-drama-divide/
The Curtain Rises /news/the-curtain-rises-on-chit-chat/
Toward a True Creative Campus /news/toward-a-true-creative-campus/
Broadway Speakers Bureau Attracts Theatre Students /news/broadway-speakers-bureau-attracts-theatre-students/
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/news/050108_bmcc_career_fair.shtml
