C h r i s t i n e O ' G r a d y
My name is Christine, and I am a theater director, choreographer, and educator. While NYC has been my home base for over 20 years, you can also find me at Penn State University where I am Co-Head of MFA Directing as well as on the BFA Musical Theatre Faculty.
Throughout my career I have had the great fortune of working with amazing mentors and creative partners. Jerry Mitchell, Diane Paulus, Karole Armitage, and Jack Cummings, III have taken me under their wing and had a profound impact on my work. I am continuously grateful for the experiences I have amassed and love sharing what I have learned with the next generation. I spent several years teaching at Marymount Manhattan College, and it was my great honor to serve as Program Director of Musical Theatre at Nazareth College where I re-launched the BFA Musical Theatre curriculum.
I’m particularly fond of developing fresh takes on musical theatre favorites. My goal is for each production to answer the vital questions, "why me?" and "why now?" I love working as a director|choreographer, but still enjoy teaming up with a collaborator so I can focus on one or the other. I am best known for my "Choose Your Words" approach to text and the cinematic way I make bodies--and furniture--dance about the stage. Along the way, I’ve been nominated for some awards, and have even won a few.
I also love shepherding new work. I was instrumental in the development of RIYT's The Outcast of Sherwood Forest, which won NETC's Moss Hart Award in 2015, and have had a hand in developing The Hello Girls, Don't Call Me John, Chaining Zero, Sing, Bibi, Sing!, and Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical. I am committed to this development work both on- and off-campus. In 2022, I helped develop and launch MTEA's New Works Collaboration Catalogue to pair new musical theatre writers with collegiate development opportunities.
I have a BS in Communications from Boston University, a MFA in Theatre (Directing Concentration) from Arizona State University, and am a proud member of SDC. I have trained with Theatrical Intimacy Education and IDC Professionals, and work as an Intimacy Director as well. I look forward to coming to your neck of the woods!
SPECIALTIES
COLLABORATION
I am continuously inspired by the magic that happens when I have a seed of an idea that a stage manager augments, a designer refines and an actor actualizes.
MUSICAL STAGING
I like to elevate crowd scenes by developing intricate travel patterns and | or "musical-izing" pedestrian gestures to evoke tranquility, panic, heartbreak, or even just a good-looking hustle bustle.
BALLROOM WITH A TWIST
Whether you need the "Tango Maureen" or the
pivotal waltz in The Glass Menagerie, I adapt various ballroom styles to tell the right story for any production.
GOOD 'OLE "5678"
Everyone loves a good dance break, but I am a fiend for researching how to make my choreography decade and locale specific, while still furthering the story.
ACTOR |
MUSICIANS
Increasingly, I'm drawn to work that integrates actor | musicians. Their sense of musicality is un-paralleled, and the ingenious ways they incorporate instruments into the storytelling is a thrill.