KRIS STEWART
Artistic & Executive Director
PRODUCING & DIRECTING
Kris' own practice has involved independently producing and directing a series of productions and events, of which you can find more out about below.
One of his major commitments has been to the development of new work.
At the New York Musical Theatre Festival, he commissioned the creation of a number of new works, including Common Grounds and Platforms (two new dance musicals, with Dance Break NY), Wrong Number (in collaboration with the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater), the Guerilla Musicals Project (spontaneous musicals that would interrupt events across NYC), Web Site Story (a user generated musical, created through online collaboration) and created a series of international co-productions with Australian, Canadian, Korean and English companies.
At the Festival of Voices, Kris commissioned shows such as Ghost Story and Angel Story (spoken word events with improvised underscore), Gin Swing (which paired sets of big band music with matching cocktails), Escape/Arrival (a Festivals Australia funded project working with Hobart’s Sudanese Women’s Choir) and the Voices of Vice.
Independently, he conceived and directed The Dragon Ball to be the centerpiece of the 2013 Chinese New Year for the City of Sydney; Live at the Riviera! for Ten Days on the Island; and The Trocadero Dance Palace for the Sydney Festival, which played a sold-out season as part of the 2011 festival, returning for the 2012 Festival First Night.
At Brisbane Powerhouse, Kris developed and produced the concert piece Seven on Sinatra (seven female vocalists singing the songs of Frank), Songlines (an indigenous solo performance), Joh for PM and Neon Tiger (two new Australian musicals), Ten Percent Terror (a circus and contemporary dance fusion), Coupling (an LGBT reimagining of 80s love duets), the VR Theatre piece Afterlife, and Boys of Sondheim, a cabaret song cycle that gender-flipped the songs of Stephen Sondheim.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCING
Kris has directed and produced a number of projects, both in the commercial and non-profit spheres. They include:
Red Hook
Available on Amazon
Kris founded Red Sand Media Partners, where he produced with his partners feature film Red Hook, a teen thriller distributed by Phase 4 Films. Set in the streets on NYC, Red Hook is about a college scavenger hunt where one of the participants is setting new rules.
[Title of Show]: a new musical
On Broadway, at the Lyceum Theater
On Broadway, RSMP produced the TONY nominated and Obie and Drama Desk award winning musical [title of show]. [title of show] is a musical about two nobodies named Hunter and Jeff who decide to write a completely original musical - and the show is from that moment until the night the audiencve is there with them.
New Musicals Australia
2011/12 - an initiative of the Australia Council
Now based at the Hayes Theatre, Kris was the founder and inaugural director of New Musicals Australia, an initiative dedicated to the production of original music theatre in Australia. It focussed on providing writers and composers with the opportunity to have their scripts and songs workshopped by professionals and presented to industry peers.
Sweet
2014 to 2016
Sweet is annual hand-curated premiering seasons of independent performance that Kris produces and presents at Brisbane Powerhouse, identifying the best of emerging independent companies and giving them the opportunity to have their work supported and seen by a wider arts audience.
DIRECTING
Kris has directed more than 60 productions across his career, with a focus on new work and music theatre. Here are some links to production photos.
Contact Kris
This is direct to Kris' personal email, so shoot him a note!
Copyright 2018. Thanks for coming by!