Kristen
Kelso
Actor, Director &
Performance Artist
Kristen Kelso is an actor, director, and solo performance artist whose work explores memory, loss, and translation through text, movement, music, and interdisciplinary storytelling.
As a director, Kelso brings a highly visual, movement-driven approach to the stage. Her directing practice is deeply collaborative, emphasizing physicality, rhythm, and the power of image-driven narratives. Her directing work has been seen at The Mercury Store, The Chain Theatre, the Gene Frankel, Cry Havoc Theatre Company, Cara Mía Theatre Co., and Shakespeare Dallas, among others.
As a solo performer, Kelso’s work is rooted in an oral storytelling tradition, drawing from personal archives. Her work often incorporates verbatim text, recordings, and archival material, transforming personal and collective histories into poetic, highly theatrical storytelling.
recent Projects
MASTICATE
written by Madison Fargo
August 2026 at the Player’s Theatre
World premiere production of a new dark comedy, blending biting work place humor with compelling human drama as the relentless pace of the food service industry becomes a pressure cooker for workers grappling with identity and ambition.
“Kelso’s brilliant direction and lyrical staging complement Fargo’s concerns and elevate the story’s moments of humor and estrangement.” – The Front Row Center
THE STORY OF MY LIFE
book by Brian Hill, music & lyrics by Neil Bartram
March 2025 at Asbury Memorial Theatre
A heartwarming musical that explores the power of friendship and the influence of shared memories. Produced as a fundraiser for The Storykeeping Program at Hospice Savannah & The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
WOMEN'S WORK SHORT PLAY LAB
New Perspectives Theatre Company
Resident Director/Dramaturg & Associate Producer, 2025-2026
The Meganne George Women’s Work Short Play Lab with New Perspectives Theatre Company, in its 18th year, fully produces six new short plays each summer by women playwrights.