Kevin Rich

Shakespeare's original practices, the intersection of Shakespeare and civic engagement and the development of new work inspired by our classics.

Kevin works professionally as a director and actor, primarily on Shakespeare and new work in conversation with Shakespeare's plays.  He has been a company member with the Colorado Shakespeare Festival for nine seasons and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival for seven seasons, serving as the Artistic Director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival from 2012-17.  

He has also served as the Director of Applied Shakespeare at CU since 2019, running an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program that intersects Shakespeare with community engagement.  He has directed for CSF's Shakespeare and Violence Prevention program since 2018, which pairs abridged touring productions of Shakespeare's plays with workshops to teach K-12 students across Colorado empathy and practical "upstander" intervention strategies for violence prevention.

He has served as Chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Roe Green Endowed Chair since 2025.  In this capacity he produces the Roe Green Visting Artist Series, which has been bringing in professional artists to work with students for 20 years. 

Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Arvada Center Black Box, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Shakespeare, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Kentucky Shakespeare, Shakespeare & Company, Portland Center Stage, San Jose Rep, Yale Rep and the American Theatre Company, as well as network commercials for Wendy's, Aquafina and Dunkin' Donuts.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Nebraska Repertory Theater, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, American Shakespeare Center, Illinois State University, Bradley University, Kenyon College, Carthage College, and the University of Wisconsin - Parkside.  His play for young audiences, The Magical Mind of Billy Shakespeare, is published by Playscripts, Inc.

2025 Onstage Colorado Award, Best Play and Best Director (The Tempest); 2024 Henry Award nomination for Best Director (Much Ado About Nothing); 2016 University Creative Initiative Award (Illinois State University); 2015 University Research Initiative Award (Illinois State University); 2015 Ibin Directing Fellowship (Bradley University); First Alternate for the 2010 Theatre Communications Group Fox Fellowship; Oliver Thorndike Acting Award at Yale School of Drama.

Illinois State University, Kenyon College, and Carthage College. In 2008, he formed his own workshop company, and he continues to facilitate workshops in colleges, high schools, and theatre festivals around the country. He is a member of Actors' Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.