“American La Ronde” by Steven Dietz, directed by Michael Lugering. Photo by Jordan Hall

The Whole World’s a Stage for Kirsten Brandt

BY KENDALL HARDIN

We’ve come a long way from Victorian times when women in theatre were in the same category as women of the night, dismissed as vulgar and immoral. Even the bouncy 1927 “Show Boat” tune concludes with “Life upon the wicked stage ain’t nothin’ for a girl.”

Women today are transforming the theatrical world on stage, in the cinema, on television and via streaming devices as consummate actors, playwrights, screenwriters, technical artists, directors and producers. How exhilarating, then, to see a woman like Kirsten Brandt ascend to the pinnacle of dramatic arts in academia as the new chair of UNLV’s Department of Theatre and executive director of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

The California native is now elated to be a Nevadan. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she pursued college at the University of California, San Diego, where she quickly switched from psychology to theatre. She studied playwriting during her junior year at the University of Birmingham in England. A year later, she graduated from UCSD with an emphasis on directing. In 2019, Brandt earned an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College, focusing on performance technology, gender in performance and environmental justice.

Directly after college, she worked with the San Diego Repertory Theatre, Sledgehammer Theatre and various small theatres in San Diego. Eventually, she stepped into the role of artistic director at Sledgehammer, armed with a mission to literally take a sledgehammer to traditional theatre and build something new. The freedom to experiment with form and style at “Sledge” with an adventurous ensemble created the cornerstone of who she is as an artist today.

Brandt has also directed at many of the country’s most prestigious theatres, including The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre (now called the Hammer Theatre Center, where she was the associate artistic director for seven years), TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Brandt is also a playwright. Her play “Coded,” about women in computer gaming, had its world premiere in San Jose in 2021, and her musical version of “The Snow Queen” continues to enjoy national and international productions.

Chic Compass: What excites you about today’s world of theatre?

Kirsten Brandt: I’m interested in the immediacy of theatre and how it creates community. I want theatre not only to entertain but also to get people talking to and with each other. I love the exchange of good ideas, and I love debate. I want to get people excited about topics and characters. I’m also a storyteller, believing that a good story can change people’s lives and inspire them. It matters what stories we tell.

Chic Compass: What attracted you to UNLV and Las Vegas?

Kirsten Brandt: When I interviewed for the job at UNLV, I saw a passion for innovation in the faculty—a passion for storytelling and service to the community and the students. We’re training the next generation of artists and theatregoers.

The students are everything—it’s why we’re here. They inspire me; I learn so much from them. I felt at home when I arrived and knew this was where I needed to be. My colleagues represent the best in theatre. They challenge me every day.

We have a fantastic program at UNLV. For undergrads, we provide a performance studies track, a stage and screen acting program and a technical theatre program. We offer master’s degrees in performance, design, technical direction and stage management. Our students are magnificent, curious and adventurous. I know that when they leave UNLV, the future of the arts is secure in their hands.

Chic Compass: You supervise UNLV’s Department of Theatre division and function as the executive director for the Nevada Conservatory Theatre. How does that work?

Kirsten Brandt: The Nevada Conservatory Theatre is the university’s producing arm and stands for “nurture, create and transform.” What makes us unique is that we bring professional guest artists to work alongside our students. This blending helps our students bridge the gap between academia and professional practice. It also allows our guests to take risks that commercial theatre can’t afford. Risk and experimentation are where innovation lies.

It’s a privilege to have this dual position. Not only do I get to work with students, but our department also works with the community. I serve as the academic department chair and the director of a performing theatre company. I know how lucky I am since I have worked in nonprofit theatre my entire life.

When I started teaching, I felt another calling. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I have felt a call to service, to help people my whole life. I believe I do that with the art I create. Art fuels the soul.

Chic Compass: You’ve launched many new initiatives and innovations over the last year. Can you describe some of them for our readers?

Kirsten Brandt: Two new programs immediately come to mind: the Short Playwriting Festival and Parking Lot Plays.

Short Playwriting Festival: With the support of an amazing donor, we will have six world-premiere 10-minute plays by major voices in American theatre. Our “shorts” will focus on a theme for the next three years. This year, the theme is “the climate.” Bringing in these writers, who are writing for our students and the Las Vegas community, enhances the visibility of UNLV and Las Vegas as a hub for new and innovative work.

Parking Lot Plays: Last year, we launched an off-season offering of plays performed in the Commercial Center parking lot. It was a wild success! The next set of plays, written by our undergraduate writers, will debut in April. It’s an immersive experience for the audience. We’re grateful to collaborate with the College of Fine Arts and the county on this fun project.

We have also created several new initiatives to connect with the community:

High School Outreach: We’re working with Las Vegas high school theatre programs to offer free weekday matinee performances for their students. We’re also going into the classrooms with workshops tailored to those classes to engage the next generation of theatre-goers.

Theatre Guides: We have launched “Know Before You Go” (or “Read It After You See It”) guides that provide more information about our plays, including interviews with writers, thoughts on themes, and other dramaturgy that enhances patron experiences. These free guides are available online to all community members. Special high school guides provide discovery activities expressly designed for each show.

Sensory inclusive performances and select Friday performances are available for every production.

Intriguing podcasts with expanded interviews and student-generated original content are now a reality.

Digital programming will increase in 2025 as more content is developed to stream to external audiences.

Chic Compass: What significant challenges do you and your department face?

Kirsten Brandt: We’re the best-kept secret in Las Vegas—I don’t want us to be a secret anymore. We make theatre for the whole community. I’m at the theatre for every performance – ready to talk to our audiences. So when you come – say hi!

The recession and COVID-19 pandemic had a horrible impact on live performing arts. Like our colleagues in other cities, we’re looking at innovative ways to invite audiences back to live theatre and ingenious and novel ways to reach out to theatregoers in unique venues throughout the city.

We can’t go back to the way we did things before, and we invite conversations and creative input from the community. I’m excited about the future and thrilled to be at an institution that values progress, experimentation and innovation.

More About the Nevada Conservatory Theatre

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre was founded by UNLV’s Department of Theatre faculty in 2000. It sits at the intersection of research and professional practice. The mission is to train the next generation of theatre artists by placing them alongside professional artists in all aspects of the art and craft of playmaking.

Working together, key goals aim to transcend the traditional stage through experimentation of form, creatively reimagine classic works, celebrate emerging and underrepresented voices and engage with the community. This intersection among students in training, distinguished faculty members and theatre professionals provides an ideal laboratory at UNLV for advancing the discipline of the theatre arts.

With a spotlight on integrating professional guest artists and advanced students, the Nevada Conservatory Theatre is committed to creating “a vibrant theatre that inspires and entertains while providing a social, political and ethical forum for Las Vegas artists and audiences.”

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre’s yearly season focuses on classic plays and new works from emerging voices in American theatre. Brandt just finished directing the new season’s opener, “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play”, which she describes as “a love letter to the power of story and our need as humans to connect.” She explains, “The whole season is about connections—how we connect, why we connect, and why we disconnect.”

The Nevada Conservatory Theatre performs in the Judy Bayley Theatre, the Black Box Theatre and the Paul Harris Theatre, located within the UNLV Performing Arts Center.

Subscriptions and single tickets are available:

Online: www.unlv.edu/pac/visit/tickets

By phone: 702-895-2787

In-person: The UNLV Performing Arts Center box office is located between the Cottage Grove Parking Garage and the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall off of Maryland Parkway

Convenient parking is free on campus after 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, after 1 p.m. on Friday, and anytime on Saturday and Sunday (handicapped parking and ADA access are provided).

For updates on the Nevada Conservatory Theatre’s 2024-25 season or to become a donor, visit www.unlv.edu/nct.