The Redfern Arts Center has welcomed Stephanie Bass Abrams as the new artistic director and programming manager.
Prior to coming to Keene State, Abrams had almost 30 years of experience in both the theater and circus world. According to Abrams, she began her career as a circus mime before moving to contortionism and acrobatics. After touring as a performer for several years, she turned her focus to coaching and directing.
“I opened my own school for circus and physical theater in Los Angeles, and was the artistic director there for 15 years before I moved to the East Coast,” Abrams said.
Now based in Brattleboro, Vt., Abrams has also directed a number of circuses in the region, as well as continued her work as a coach, mime and vaudeville performer.
Abrams said she was drawn to Keene State after moving to the area when her company in LA shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If I was going to take a full-time position, I wanted to make sure it was something that I was really excited about and that I wanted to do,” she said. “When I heard about the role at Keene State, I was like, ‘This sounds like a great opportunity.’ I felt like it was a perfect fit, and I saw the potential.”
Abrams said she is excited for Redfern programming to kick off.
“Just to get a sense of what our community enjoys,” she said. “I don’t really know yet what our audiences look like, what size our audiences are.”
Abrams said she is also excited to meet more students.
“I’ve met a few students within the theatre and dance and music departments,” she said. “We have many students that work at the Redfern, but I haven’t had the opportunity to meet everybody yet, so I am really looking forward to meeting them and working with the students and then seeing students at the performances.”
Abrams said she would remind students that tickets for Redfern performances are free, as long as they provide their Owl ID at the box office.
Theatre and Dance Department Chair Cynthia McLaughlin, a member of the hiring committee, said the committee was looking for experience and excitement when doing the search.
“We were really looking for someone who had a strong history of working in the performing arts, specifically in arts management,” McLaughlin said. “But beyond that, someone that just really felt enthusiastic about the Keene community and working collaboratively.”
McLaughlin said she looks forward to collaborating with Abrams to bring new experiences to Keene State.
“Everything we do is to support our students’ experience,” she said. “So we want our students, when they come to Keene State, to have exposure to a lot of different artists, not just the ones that they meet in the classroom.”
Music Department Chair Christina Wright-Ivanova, also chair of the hiring committee, said she was impressed with Abrams’ dedication during the hiring process.
“She’s a very ambitious personality, because you have to be in her background,” Wright-Ivanova said. “So that’s someone who has a lot of discipline to their craft and who knows what it is to work really hard to create an artistic product.”
Wright-Ivanova said she is looking forward to having a dedicated artistic director and programming manager at the Redfern, after previously serving as co-director with McLaughlin.
“There are a lot of critical needs in the center and she’s the right person to get the work done,” she said. “So I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Redfern revitalizes itself and redevelops over the next few years.”
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
