Mark Kenward, a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Nominee and two-time selection for the Best of San Francisco Solo Series, has performed his work in over 40 cities throughout the US and Canada, including a reception for The House of Representatives and several runs at The Marsh.

Bio

Kenward is the creator and performer of eight solo shows, receiving kudos as “a commanding storyteller” and “a master of the craft”. The Contra Costa Times hailed his most recent show Nantucket as “astonishing, funny, and breathtaking.” In 2015 he was named a Marsh 25th Anniversary All-Star Performer.

Kenward is the director of over 40 full-length solo shows, including ten that have had runs at The Marsh: Kurt Bodden’s Steve Seabrook: Better Than You, Howard Petrick’s Rambo: The Missing Years, David Kleinberg’s Hey, Hey, LBJ!,  Houston Robertson’s Victory for the Recycled Virgin, Jill Vice’s A Fatal Step, Steve Budd’s What They Said About Love, Jeremy Greco’s Keeping Up with the Jorgenson’s, David Kleinberg’s Return to the Scene of the Crime, Victoria Podesta’s The Designated Daughter, and David Hirata’s The Jap Box. Other directing credits include Wayne Harris’s Tyrone ‘Short Leg’ Johnson and Some White Boys and David Caggiano’s Jurassic Ark, both of which won ‘Best of SF Fringe’ honors.  He is the winner of a 2019 TBA CA$H grant to develop, direct, and produce a festival of performances by formerly incarcerated people, which has evolved into the ongoing Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project which Kenward produces and co-directs. Kenward was selected to be a Titan mentor (to performer-singer Amy Bouchard), funded by a grant from the ATLAS program at Theatre Bay Area. He regularly teaches The Elements of Solo Performance classes, in addition to co-teaching The Gift of Your Show with Charlie Varon.  In 2019 he completed a four-year stint as Managing Director and Director of Artist Relations at The Marsh.

Headshot by danscape.de

Training

The Marsh
San Francisco, CA (1995-2014)
Wrote and performed four solo shows under the direction of David Ford.
Additional coaching with Julia McNeal (character work), Charlie Varon (solo performance) and others.

Motion Institute
San Rafael, CA (2001-2005)
Trained in improvisational storytelling with Corey Fischer and Nina Wise.
Member of advanced ensemble.

Yoga Studio Teacher Training Program
Mill Valley, CA (2000)
Five month intensive training in practice & theory of Yoga.
Studied with Sarah Powers, Tias Little, Georg Feuerstein, and others.

ACT Summer Training Congress
San Francisco, CA (1997)
Studied acting, voice, improv, etc.

Z Space Studio
San Francisco, CA (1994-2000)
Artist-in-residence.
Developed original work in a collaborative feedback situation.

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL (1991-1993)
MA in Theatre/Performance.
Studied with Frank Galati (directing, adapting literature), Rives Collins (storytelling), Johannes Birringer (performance art), Lynne Blom (dance improv) and others.

The People’s Light and Theatre Company
Malvern, PA (1989-1991)
Actor, Assistant stage manager, Intern.

Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA (1985-1989)
BA in English Literature.
Studied theatre & acting with Lee Devin, Abigail Adams, Edith Meeks, and others.