Hello
"May we always strive to push ourselves to the limits of creativity and test the boundaries of our imaginations."
I am a storyteller, dedicated to producing relevant and inspiring theatre pieces with and for youth. As a teaching artist, director, playwright, and performer, I love to inspire curiosity and bring culturally relevant stories to life. Thanks for your interest in my journey and process - the world needs people that care about drama education and its transformative potential for young people.
As a theatre creative and teaching artist, my work inevitably overlaps itself in ways that make clear categorizations difficult; my directing of undergraduate students has pedagogical goals, my professional development with classroom teachers is rooted in my practice as a professional children's theatre artist, and my playwriting is informed by my day-to-day interactions with students of all ages in all kinds of spaces. For organization's sake, I have placed my artistry into categories, but my work does not stop within these limitations. Let's imagine something new together that blends our experiences and centers people as catalysts of change. I can't wait to work with you!
Who is Kendra?
Kendra is an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of Northern Iowa, where she heads the Theatre for Youth & Communities emphasis. Her creative practice and areas of expertise include integrating creative drama into core curriculum, developing and writing new work for young audiences, directing Theatre for Young Audiences plays and musicals, conceptualizing and creating new Theatre for the Very Young, utilizing community-based theatre techniques in social justice settings with teens, directing youth productions, and creating and sustaining partnerships between arts institutions and local schools and other community organizations. She has previously taught, directed, and/or performed with Childsplay Theatre Company, The Rose Theater, Lexington Children's Theatre, Desert Foothills Theatre, and the Virginia Samford Theatre.
Kendra is also a playwright, and her work has been performed at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Thought Bubble Theatre Festival, The Rose Theater, and Samford University. Her newest commission, The One Between, premiered at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Her creative research has been published in the LEARNing Landscapes journal, and she actively presents at national and international conferences.
News
Check out a few of Kendra's recent, current, and upcoming projects!
POPPED!
Kendra is currently directing POPPED!, a devised Theatre for the Very Young play. Students from UNI have partnered with 19 local preschool classrooms to help devise story elements and design aspects of the production. The show performs in December. More information and tickets are available here.
Suzette Who Set to Sea
Kendra directed Suzette Who Set to Sea and partnered with local schools, touring the production to over 2,000 children in the Cedar Valley area. The project won the Service Learning / Live Client Project Award at the University of Northern Iowa.
Gretel! The Musical
Kendra directed and choreographed Gretel! The Musical at the University of Northern Iowa. The show performed 4 school matinees and 3 public shows.
Connecting Students to Community
Kendra heads the Theatre for Youth & Communities emphasis at the University of Northern Iowa. Currently, students in her creative drama class are completing field experiences in local elementary and secondary schools, integrating process drama into core curriculum.
Super Nova
Kendra is seeking play development for her newest work geared toward family audiences. The play follows Nova and her younger sister Tam as they enter the foster care system.
Hero Huddle
Kendra presented a professional development workshop at the UNI Social & Emotional Learning Conference in April 2025. Her workshop was titled Hero Huddle: Using Creative Drama to Teach Social Awareness in the Elementary Classroom.