Directory

Ryan McKinney is a Professor of Theatre Arts here at Kingsborough Community College where he also serves as the Director of the Theatre Arts Program.  As an educator, he has previously taught at San Diego State University, Pace University, Marymount Manhattan College, Western Connecticut State University, Fairfield University and the Broadway Theatre Project. Ryan served as the Co-Director of the Pre-College Musical Theatre Studio at Emerson College for four summers, as well as the Chair of Musical Theatre for Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for eight years.  At Kingsborough, Professor McKinney teaches coursework in acting, musical theatre, play production, theatre appreciation and play analysis, as well as directing the theatre program’s musical production each year. As a theatre practitioner, Ryan has worked professionally as an actor, director, choreographer, and theatre manager. As a scholar and writer, his research interests include musical theatre and politics, theatre and social justice, as well as advocacy for open pedagogies and civic engagement.

Education

• MFA in Musical Theatre, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
• MA in Theatre Studies, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY
• BA in International Studies and Theatre, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT

Awards

• 2016 Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion for Outstanding Service to Theatre Education.
• 2013-3014 Prize for Innovative Teaching, The Association for Theatre in Higher Education & Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Theatre Management Credits

• General Manager/Assistant Director, The Bikinis: A New Musical Beach Party, (2011-2013).
• General Manager, National Tour: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (2004-2011).
• Tour Manager, National Tour: Forbidden Broadway (2004-2006).

Directing Credits (partial)

• I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Director, Harbor Lights Theatre Company
• The Bikinis: A New Musical Beach Party, Director, The Garden Theatre
• The Eelwax Jesus 3-D Pop Music Show and White People, Assistant Director & Choreographer, Contemporary American Theatre Festival
• Over 15 productions, Resident Director-Choreographer, Kingsborough Community College

Acting Credits (partial)

• Perfect Teeth. Role: Dylan, TheatreLab NYC
• The Eelwax Jesus 3-D Pop Music Show. Role: Ballroom Dancer/James (u/s), Contemporary American Theatre Festival
• Kiss Me, Kate. Role: Gremio, Moonlight Amphitheatre.
• Annie. Role: Rooster, MET2 Productions

Publications

• Texas Theatre Journal(Texas Educational Theatre Association)
  Performance Review: St. Ann’s Warehouse production of Oklahoma!, Fall 2019.

• Journal of American Drama & Theatre(City University of New York & Martin E. Segal Theatre Center)
  Book Review: Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical Is Restaging America’s Past. Renee C. Romano and Claire Bond Potter, eds. Volume 31, Issue 3, Spring 2019

• The Palgrave Handbook of Musical Theatre Producers(Laura MacDonald & William A. Everett, eds.),
  Book Chapter: “He Could Get it for You Wholesale: The Producing Genius of David Merrick,” (pp.217-229), New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.

Professional Service

• Founding Chair of Musical Theatre, Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
• Focus Group Representative, Two-Year College Program Focus Group, Association for Theatre in Higher Education

Memberships

• Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE)
• Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC)
• National Alliance of Acting Teachers (NAAT)