Katie Kay Chelena

theater artist. educator. poet.

CV

NEW YORK NEO-FUTURISTS

  • 2018-2024. Senior ensemble member. Co-chair of Education Committee. Ensemble board member 2020.

  • The Infinite Wrench: an ongoing, everchanging attempt to perform 30 plays in one hour. Wrote, directed, performed, and produced 150+ original Neo-Futurist plays over six years. My Neo-Futurist work was hosted at the Kraine Theater, Theater 154, Caveat, Virgin Voyages Cruise Lines, and the Hudson River Museum. Co-produced special editions of the wrench for women’s history month (Smash the Patriarchy) and for Pride month (The Infinite Pride).

  • CYBERWRENCH. A Twitch-streamed monthly version of the Infinite Wrench in 2020. Co-produced and -directed by myself, Rob Neill, and Anthony Sertel Dean.

  • Education: taught Neo-Futurism Fundamentals Level 1, Level 2, the Intern Salon, workshops for UNC Chapel Hill, UC Irvine, School of the New York Times, the Brooklyn Public Library. Regularly led or advised curriculum development.

  • Other projects: Regular contributor to HIT PLAY podcast (New York Times recommended). Editor in Chief of THE TIME IS NOW, the NYNF 20th Anniversary zine.

  • Collaborations with the Neo-Futurists in Chicago, the San Francisco Neo-Futurists, and Degenerate Fox.

DIRECTING AND LEAD DEVISING

(*** denotes lead devising or writing credit)

  • New York Neo-Futurist credits listed above.

  • In Development: ***A QUEER PUNK GUIDE TO HOPE (working title) is a step-by-step guide to imagining a future worth staying alive for. Born out of conversations with my students and younger folks I mentor, QPGTH makes the case for kicking despair's ass and building skills for fortitude in the face of doom. Currently conducting interviews and research.

  • Upcoming: *** On Earth as it is in [404 ERROR] created by and with the International Performance Ensemble at Pace University. New York, NY. 2024.

  • *** The Roll created by Katie Kay Chelena with contributions from the NC Governor’s School West (NC GSW) class of 2024. North Carolina Governor’s School West, Greensboro, NC. 2024.

  • *** The Dreamfarmers created by and with the International Performance Ensemble at Pace University. New York, NY. 2023.

  • *** ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE WRENCH? adapted from The Infinite Wrench for NC GSW 2023. North Carolina Governor’s School West, 2023.

  • *** meet me at the {edge.of.the.woods} created by Katie Kay Chelena with contributions from NC GSW 2022. The Botanical Garden at High Point University. NC Governor’s School West. High Point, NC. 2022.

  • *** TOGETHERNESS, a collection of Chuck Mee scenes and found text. North Carolina Governor’s School West, High Point, NC. 2021.

  • *** CYBERWRENCH created and produced by Katie Kay Chelena, Rob Neill, and Anthony Sertel Dean for the New York Neo-Futurists. 11 monthly shows streamed via Twitch. 2020-2021.

  • *** The One Minute Play Festival. Recurring director, curator, and contributing writer. Produced by Artistic Director Dominic D’Andrea. I directed short plays by Becca Blackwell, Azure D. Osborne-Lee, Diana Oh, Jonathan Alexandratos, and more. 2016-2020.

  • Scenes from Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega, adapted and directed for SHAKESBEER pub crawl. SHAKESBEER produced by the New York Shakespeare Exchange. Various bars in Manhattan, 2017.

  • tiny frightened animals by Ben French. Site-specific- The Station Beer Garden and abandoned train tracks. Chapel Hill, NC. 2015.

  • Shakespeare’s R+J by Joe Calarco. Co-directed with Nathaniel P. Claridad. Kenan Theatre Company. Chapel Hill, NC. 2014.

  • July House by Pat Robinson. UNC Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, NC. 2013.

ASSISTANT DIRECTING

  • Singing Beach by Tina Howe. First production. Dir. Ari Laura Kreith. HERE Arts Center, New York, NY. 2017.

  • July House by Pat Robinson. Dir. Nathaniel P. Claridad. The Clemente, New York, NY. 2015.

  • Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang. Dir. Libby Appel. Playmakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill, NC. 2014.

PERFORMING

  • New York Neo-Futurist credits listed above.

  • my lingerie play by Diana Oh. Public installation performer. 2016.

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dir. Shana Cooper. Fairy. Playmakers Repertory Company. 2015.

  • Into the Woods. Dir. Joseph Haj. Puppeteer, u/s Little Red. Playmakers Repertory Company. 2015.

  • Cabaret. Dir. Joseph Haj. Swing for all Kit Kat girls. Playmakers Repertory Company. 2014.

  • *** Chrysalis devised with dir. Todd Weakley. North Carolina Stage Company. Asheville, NC. 2011.

  • Flat Rock Playhouse Youth Conservatory. Child roles and puppeteering 2005-2011. Asheville, NC.

TEACHING

  • North Carolina Governor’s School (West), 2019-Present. Head of Theater Program. Course: The Generative Theater Artist. Neo-Futurism, Viewpoints, Suzuki, Devising.

  • New York Neo-Futurists, 2018-2024. Lead workshop teacher, Education Committee, Intern Salon Facilitator. Details above.

  • PACE University. Guest Artist / New Ensemble Work Director, 2023 and 2024.

  • Guest Lectures and workshops: University of California at Irvine, School of the New York Times

  • Teaching Artist, 2015-Present. Past partnerships: Brooklyn Academy of Music, Ping Chong + Company, Girl Be Heard, Stages on the Sound.

  • BAD POET. 2020-present. A yearly poem-a-day workshop on Discord. For beginners, perfectionists, and “I’m not a poet” poets. Average 150 participants per year.

MOVEMENT AND INTIMACY DIRECTION

  • Upcoming: Intimacy direction for CLEANSED by Sarah Kane (workshop). Dir. James Rutherford. Details TBA. 2025.

  • Movement direction for MEAT INJECTION created by C. Bain. Dixon Place, New York, NY. 2020.

RESIDENCIES / LABS

  • Barn Arts. Mount Desert Island, Maine. 2019.

  • New York Shakespeare Exchange- Playwright Diversity Cohort. Work in process showing dir. Rebecca Martinez. 2018.

EDUCATION

  • MA Arts Politics. NYU Tisch School of the Arts. 2022. Studied with Karen Finley, Kathy Engel, Anna Deavere Smith.

  • BA Dramatic Art. Creative Writing minor. UNC Chapel Hill. 2015. Studied with Gabrielle Calvocoressi, John Patrick, Julie Fishell, Jeff Cornell.

OTHER TRAINING

  • Mental Health First Aid- Adult MHFA Certified, 2022

  • Theatrical Intimacy Education- Workshop Weekend (Theatrical Studio Techniques), Best Practices, Trauma-Informed Practices

  • OPEN Intimacy Creatives- Staging Non-Consensual Intimacy

  • SITI Company Summer Intensive at Skidmore College, 2012. Trained with Anne Bogart, Ellen Lauren, Barney O’Hanlon, Akiko Aizawa

  • Flat Rock Playhouse Youth Conservatory, 2005-2011.