Kelli Simpkins (she/they) is a theater, film, and television artist whose career has spanned thirty-five years. They are dedicated to telling stories often excluded from the mainstream that focus on class, queerness, disenfranchisement, and ‘the other.’ They are a company member of Tectonic Theater Project and are one of the original creators/dramaturges/performers of The Laramie Project. Kelli appears in the HBO film of the same name, for which she and fellow company members share a Humanitas Prize and an Emmy nomination.
Kelli co-wrote, directed, and devised an original play for Western Michigan University called Good Death, which was performed at the Kennedy Center’s Region III American College Theatre Festival. After living and working in New York, Kelli relocated to Chicago, where they’ve performed at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, American Theater Company, Timeline Theater, Victory Gardens Theatre, Court Theatre and About Face Theater, where they are also an artistic associate. They have simultaneously spent numerous years developing, collaborating on, and performing award-winning, socially-engaged, interview-based documentary projects, including The People’s Temple and Spill.
Kelli’s TV and film credits include Emperor of Ocean Park (recurring guest star), American Rust (recurring), 61st Street, Work in Progress, Rounding, 100 Days to Live, Slice, Proven Innocent, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, Patriot, Betrayal, A League of Their Own, Law & Order: C.I., and Chasing Amy. Kelli is a contributing writer to the book MOMENT WORK—Tectonic Theater Project’s Process of Devising Theater. She is also a teaching artist and educator who has led training labs throughout the country. She is a proud recipient of the 2013 3Arts Award. Kelli is represented by Gray Talent Group and managed by Jodi Schoenbrun Carter at 1022m Management.
"Men On Boats"
American Theatre Company
Featured Artworks
"David" in Theater of the Mind
Goodman Theatre, Chicago
Metamorphoses
Berkshire Theatre Group, Pittsfield, MA
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Berkshire Theatre Group, Pittsfield, MA
Hurricane Diane
Theater Wit, Chicago
The Lady from the Sea
Court Theatre, Chicago
Photo by Michael Brosilow
The Gulf
About Face Theatre, Chicago
Everybody
Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington DC
Bull in a China Shop
About Face Theatre, Chicago
We're Gonna Be Ok
American Theatre Company, Chicago
Charm
MCC, New York City
Spill
Timeline Theatre Company, Chicago & Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York
Cocked
Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago
T
American Theatre Company, Chicago
The Secretaries
About Face Theatre, Chicago
The Kid Thing
Chicago Dramatists & About Face Theatre, Chicago
Pony
About Face Theatre, Chicago
Still from "A League of Their Own"
Kelli Simpkins has crowd-funded a project with 3AP
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- $17,276 raised of $5,000 goal
- 0 Days 0:00:00 LEFT
I am fundraising to launch the first phase of Queer In(n)—a curated, generative online gallery inspired by interviews with Chicago LGBTQIA+ and/or gender and sexually diverse youth/elders and their advocates. As a theater artist, much of my career has …
Read more about Queer In(n)