Kelsey E. Collie, Dr.
Youth Theatre, University Professor, Theatre Founder, Drama, Director, Educator
1935?-
Years:
Affiliations:
Howard Children's Theatre, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center
Washington DC
Locations:
Connections:
Irene Colbert Edmonds
Dr. Kelsey Collie is Professor Emeritus of Theater Arts at Howard University where he also served as Assistant Dean of Fine Arts. He taught English prior to joining the Theater Department faculty, where he founded the internationally renowned Howard University Children’s Theater (HUCT) in 1973. In only one year of operation, the HUCT became the premier African American children’s theater and was named the “Most Outstanding New Children’s Theater in the USA” by the Children’s Theater Association. Dr. Collie also developed a major concentration in children’s theater, which was only one of two HBCU programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theater. He taught drama at Barnard and Minor Elementary Schools in the District of Columbia. He conducted workshops in several public schools in the District of Columbia.
As a drama therapist he has worked at the Jackie Robinson Center. He directed plays and musical shows at the Lincoln Center (NYC), the Empire State Theater or the “Egg” (Albany, NY), Crystal Palace (Nassau, Bahamas), Caribana Festival (Toronto, Canada) and Townhall (Dundalk, Ireland) as well as workshops in Finland, Ireland, England, Czechoslovakia, the Bahamas, and throughout the United States. He has served as Artistic Director for such community groups as GEM Productions, Color Me Human Players, and the Serenity Players. He served as Artistic Director for the Kuumba Preparatory School of the Arts, located in Washington, DC. (Bio Credit: Washington DC Hall of Fame Society)
