Kate has been self-producing in Seattle, WA since her arrival in 2014. Her work is defined by a collaborative spirit, consent- and respect-based practices, and a pursuit of joy.

As an Artistic Director at Dacha Theatre, Kate has had the opportunity to work in many facets of production, including developing marketing materials and show budgets. As a producer, she created the Dice series (which she has also directed and associate directed) as well as innovative formats like Kaleidoscope (an interactive digital collage of artists’ responses to a shared prompt).

As the company’s casting director, she runs bi-annual group auditions for Dacha that have been lauded as “the best audition experience” and “an accessible and fun way to get to know new artists.” Her mission in these auditions is to create the most equitable and successful process for actors as possible.

As a creator, Kate chases precise articulations of feelings, images, and moments, and is constantly challenging herself to engage with and invest the audience in her work in new and innovative ways — from reinvigorating classical work through the Dice series she invented, to encouraging the audience to immerse themselves in the world of the play.

Kate weaves her consent-based directing practice into her relationship with the audience, ensuring that audience members always feel brave and safe as they are invited to interact with a performance.

Her extensive portfolio of audience-interactive work has led to her consulting on multiple interactive performances, including designing a robust de-escalation guidelines for challenging audience members to empower the casts of productions like Dacha’s Ghost Party and :robot_face:, in which audience members have autonomy to interact freely with actors.

Kate’s background as a teaching artist informs her work and led to her interest in Theatre for Young Audiences.

Most recently, Kate has taught with the Seattle Rep in the Public Works program, with Book-It Rep in their StoryMakers workshops, and with the 5th Avenue Theatre as a Directing Mentor in the Rising Star Project.

She has sought to bring the magic and wonder of TYA productions to adult audiences as well, challenging grown-ups to re-encounter live performance with childlike imagination and respect for the truths we find in theatre. This has led her to weave musicality through her work, using the universality of music and rhythm to find points of resonance that prompt us to open ourselves up to being vulnerable with the work.

Although much of her recent work has been through the company she founded, Dacha, Kate has created theatrical moments all over the city, including pop-up shows at small venues like the Pocket, the Slate, and Theatre4.

From 2015 to its closing in 2018, Kate helped curate the late-night offerings at the beloved blackbox venue, the Ballard Underground.
She produced the monthly all-women performances of Improvatron, which introduced new “mystery envelope” and drinking game structures, developed a passionate fan following, and provided a space for female improvisers in Seattle to play and network.