Melanie Keller

Director

Melanie is very happy to be returning to Montana Shakespeare in the Schools for the second time, having directed Much Ado About Nothing for MSIS in 2021. She is an actor and director based in Chicago, but loves to spend time in Montana, hiking and exploring the National Parks. Melanie was the Associate Artistic Director of First Folio Theatre for 7 years where she directed Little Women, Silent Sky, and Mary’s Wedding, among others, and where she acted in more than 10 productions including The Merchant of Venice, and Blithe Spirit. As a member of Signal Ensemble, she directed the Jeff-nominated The Drowning Girls. Acting credits with Signal include East of Berlin and The Russian Play (Jeff Award for Best Actress), and The Weir (Jeff Nomination for Best Supporting Actress). For Oak Park Festival, she has directed multiple productions and played Lady Macbeth. Other directing credits include projects with Peninsula Players, Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Irish Theatre of Chicago, Fraud and Phony, and Chicago Dramatists. Additional acting credits include productions at Chicago Shakespeare, Waterfront Playhouse of Key West, Peninsula Players, Goodman Theatre, Northlight, and seasons at the Stratford Festival of Canada, Lakeside Shakespeare, and the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. She has appeared on TV’s Chicago Med, Fire, and PD, and in the films UberEx and Sin Eater.