Musical Theater
"Giving children the opportunity to develop confidence and self expression through music and drama...that's what I love doing most of all."
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Musical Theater Director/Playwright
As a playwright and musical theater director, Keri has produced original works of art in venues throughout Canada, New York, Texas, California, Alabama and Florida, and Oregon. Designing costumes and choreographing dance numbers is another talent this versatile artist possesses. Passionate about writing quality music and musical theater pieces for children that teach them environmental and spiritual value, Keri also moonlights as an educational entertainer in festivals, public schools, and musical theater summer camps.
Even when Keri was in junior high school student, she was putting on shows. In order to raise money for a violin, she organized a neighborhood circus and set up a makeshift stage underneath the mulberry trees in their backyard. With her mother's white sheets for curtains, she featured her favorite friends and even a few adults who were musicians who participated in her first backyard production. In the ninth grade, she made costumes, collected props and played the character, Ado Annie in the school musical, Oklahoma. During her sophomore year in high school she was cast as the character, Rebecca, in Thornton Wilder's Our Town and was also helped with the cast's wardrobe. She was elected president of the drama club her junior year at West High School and was appointed assistant director of George Orwell's 1984. During her senior year, she helped write produce and direct a satirical, mini-musical comedy, A Senior Fairytale, that poked fun at the faculty.
High school sparked her interest in writing and directing; as a result, she majored in English in college and took private guitar, voice piano and acting classes as well. Because she had a job, a toddler and was a full time student, she had very little time in college to participate in theater rehearsals; however, during the summer, she would write short musical skits and find positions in churches and summer camps.
Keri earned a special California teaching credential that qualified her to teach English, drama, language arts and journalism in grades K-12. Throughout her years as a high school teacher, she managed to produce some original works.
In 1977 at Arvin High School she wrote, produced and directed a two act bilingual musical theater piece, Como Tu Com Yo, that addressed discrimination against Mexican migrant students in public schools. It was an overwhelming success even though it raised a few eyebrows both in the school and in the community.
From 1977-81 at Vista East Continuation High School, she wrote, produced and directed a series of short skits, and one act plays that improved her students reading and self esteem. Helping her "at risk" students achieve success through the arts inspired her to develop lesson plans that fused arts into academics.
After she moved to Florida in 1981, she began to write another musical, Song of Hooray, about an alcoholic husband and father who abuses his wife and children when he is drunk and how prayer and intervention can heal broken homes and hearts.
When Keri lived in Canada from 1986-1990, she created inspirational pieces and toured as a children's educational entertainer and artist in the classroom.
In order to make money during the holidays, she created a nostalgic 45 minute Christmas Show called Company Comin' that celebrates the spiritual aspect of Christmas and the joy of family reunions.
While living in New York in 1990-91, she wrote the script of the environmental musical, Black Mayo about a greedy, Texan CEO who is summoned to 'Sea'perior Court by the porpoise police and tried for riparian crimes against mother nature.
Kerrville Folk Festival Children's Theater
In the summer of 1999 at the Kerrville Folk Festival she wrote, produced and directed a short environmental mini-musical called, Save The Sapling, where teenage trees rebel against people who have no respect for the forest.
In the summer of 2000 at the Kerrville Folk Festival she wrote, produced and directed a delightful children's musical Bread n' Butter Pickle about two fraternal twins who learn that compassion, kindness and good karma opens the door of opportunity and how bad karma slams it shut.
In the summer of 2001 at the Kerrville Folk Festival, she wrote, produced and directed a musical theater piece called 82IQ about an evil emperor who has a wicked plan to gain control of the world by inserting 82IQ chips into people's brains to deliberately dumb them down.
Keri is currently working on what she feels is one of her most important environmental plays about saving sacred ancient trees or old growth. She wrote the first act in the summer of 2004 while residing in Selma in Southern Oregon and has one song called Chainsaw Justice completed. This musical will consist of three acts and six songs. She plans to pilot it in Ashland, Oregon and tour with it in public school throughout the United States.
Costume Designer
Designing and making costumes for her original productions opened up a new aspect in her career in the arts. She has designed and made costumes for dance troupes, ballet companies and also for private individuals. Her specialty is making animals, insects and marine life come alive on stage
Plays Available
If you would like to know more about how you can purchase one of Keri's plays for your theater group, write for details....
Background | Music | Musical Theater | Artist Development | Activism | Contact Keri
