Director of Award-Winning Shows
Wayne Harris
“Mark Kenward is a remarkable performer and a dynamic director/collaborator, and because of that duality he has a unique insight into the world of solo performance. As a collaborator, he has a great ability to motivate and guide the performer in very tangible ways. His process is both demanding and nurturing while always being aware and sensitive to the needs of the artist….he is a valued resource for me personally as well as a Bay Area treasure.” –Wayne Harris
written and performed by Wayne Harris and directed by Mark Kenward, is a blues play backed by a live band.
Winner of “Best of Fringe” honors at the 2012 San Francisco Fringe Festival.
“The music’s hot, Harris is in fine form…riveting.” Huffington Post
Jill Vice
“Thank you to Mark Kenward for his keen eye, contagious enthusiasm and inspiring direction that has stretched me as a performer.” –Jill Vice
written and performed by Jill Vice and directed by Mark Kenward, is an outrageous one-woman noir.
Three-month run at The Marsh San Francisco (opened January 2018) Theatre Bay Area Awards nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance 2018. ‘Audience Choice’ Award Winner at Indy Fringe. Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Pick Best of San Francisco Solo Series Theatre Eddys Top Solo Shows 2018 “Astonishing!… A loving send-up of a favorite genre.” San Francisco Chronicle “Mark Kenward directs with a great eye for detail.” Theatrius★★★★★ “What becomes more and more stunning about Jill Vice’s performance is how seamlessly she switches from one character to the next in voice, accents, countenance, posture, idiosyncratic twitches, and foot placement – often having two to three of them in rapid conversation or tense, desperate arguments with each other…Mark Kenward’s direction is a great partner to Ms. Vice’s innate abilities to weave a tale of stock characters that have their feet planted both in the 1940s and in current San Francisco, where a raised eyebrow, a upturned lip, or a flick of a finger speak volumes in ensuring the mimicry of film noir occurs in subtle but distinct flair.” Theatre Eddys
★★★★½ “It is clear to anyone who watches this piece move through space of the reverence that Vice and director Mark Kenward have for the genre” Bay Area Plays
★★★★ “Vice turns her hand elegantly from one classic cinematic character to another bringing the plot to its final Revlon-red kiss-off.” Winnipeg Free Press
Steve Budd
“Thank you so much, Mark Kenward! You’re a fantastic director–I couldn’t have done it without you!… It’s been great working with you on this and having your incredible help and support…What a pleasure it’s been working with you on ‘What They Said About Love’. Thanks so much for your patience, dedication, and invaluable assistance.” –Steve Budd
written and performed by Steve Budd and directed by Mark Kenward.
Ran for several months at The Marsh Berkeley and The Marsh San Francisco (2018) Theatre Bay Area Awards nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance 2018. Audience Choice Award at Indy Fringe 2018. Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Pick. Best of San Francisco Solo Series 2019 “Hilarious and poignant… Budd gets into character to portray each couple and we get to learn intimate details about each of them. The show is relatable in many ways, whether you are currently in a committed relationship or are navigating the ever-changing dating scene.” East Bay Express “Last night I went to a show. No, I went to a SHOW. Steve Budd’s “What They Said About Love” with deft and insightful direction from Mark Kenward (this man has an eye for detail – consistent detail -aiding Steve to evoke Huge laughs and deep emotion).” Don Reed “terrifically well-produced and directed (by fellow Fringe great Mark Kenward) ode to the trials and hardships of finding ‘the one’” TheVisitorium.com (Ottawa) “With humor, whimsy and poignancy… It’s a sweet and bittersweet exploration that centers on the perennial question of how best to meet and keep a mate. Steve Budd plays a cast of characters in this docudrama, all based on actual Bay Area people he interviewed about the fine points of loving relationships. These are interspersed with the tale of his own search for love. Budd is a skilled actor who controls the stage with grace.” Berkeleyside
David Hirata
“Without Mark’s guidance and direction, my show would not exist. Mark was my guide, advisor, collaborator and director–and my work is so much the better for it. From the work of shaping the script, honing the performance and staging the show, Mark was with me all along.” –David Hirata
written and performed by David Hirata and directed by Mark Kenward, is part magic show, part memoir, and part historical excavation inspired by the story of a magician who became the first Japanese citizen to be issued a passport to visit the West, where one of his prize illusions was appropriated by American magicians in yellow face, and renamed, the Jap box.
‘Outstanding World Premiere Production, San Diego Fringe Festival★★★★ “Humorous, moving, educational and entertaining…skillfully directed by Mark Kenward” For All Events
Extended Run October 2019 through January 2020 at The Marsh Berkeley
Al Sasser, Pamela Ann Keane, Pastor Ronnie Muniz, Tony Cyprien, Freddy Lee Johnson, Joshua Hattam
“Storytelling under the direction of Mark Kenward has opened up doors that I was terrified to walk through. The fear of exposing my own story of incarceration to the world was difficult but needed to happen in order for me to evolve from a place of fear and self-centeredness. Our paths intertwined, I was willing to receive the encouragement, kindness and expertise that Mr. Kenward offered. The rewrites, acting tips and suggestions, along with his genuine concern, brought me to the realization that there is something special going on and that I must participate: working together to address and change the injustices that so many are subjected to. Hearing the voices of formerly incarcerated individuals is a must. The overall impact will continue to chip away at the inhumane injustices of the incarcerated and broader community. I seek to not only keep those doors open but to knock them down. It is time, and society as a whole benefits.” –Freddy Lee Johnson, storyteller, musician, former director for Harm Reduction Coalition
directed and produced by Mark Kenward, with co-direction by Rebecca Fisher and Wayne Harris, features six formerly incarcerated performers telling stories about their life experiences. This project also includes a second ensemble of mothers of incarcerated sons telling stories about their experiences.
selected for MarshStream International Solo Festival (on Zoom) in 2020. FIPPP will culminate with a festival in 2021.
Funded in part by a Theater Bay Area CA$H grant.
Victoria Podesta
“Mark directed my Risings performance and then, after further development in Chicago and New York my three-week run at the Marsh. Throughout, he was insightful, kind, openhearted, encouraging, devoted to emotional truth and always focused on helping me have the best experience and create the best experience for the audience. As a guide, an advocate and a friend, he helped me turn a script into a show.” –Victoria Podesta
written and performed by Victoria Podesta and directed by Mark Kenward. Every family has one: the dutiful child who stays behind shouldering familial responsibilities. Victoria wasn’t that daughter. But when 73-pound Marie, her elderly mother, moves in with her, wreaking comic chaos, forcing a painful confrontation with a buried past, and prompting the search for the perfect pillow, she has one last chance to build a bond of truth and love.
★★★★ “Truly arresting. Ms. Podesta uses a gentle touch in portraying the end of her mother’s life. She reaches out to us, so she will not be alone during this time of losing her parents. But the effect is that we, too, are less alone.” All About Solo (New York)
Special Run October 2019 at The Marsh San Francisco in association with Reimagine End of Life Festival.
Kurt Bodden
“Thank you for all you’ve done for my show, Mark. You’ve had a wonderful influence on it, and you’re a pleasure to work with…some of the most enthusiastic response was from people who had seen the show last year or this spring, who marveled at how much better it was – tighter, better paced, more interesting arc.” –Kurt Bodden
written and performed by and directed by Mark Kenward, is a hilarious and thought-provoking send-up of a motivational speaker
Six month run at The Marsh San Francisco. “It is by this thoughtful transitional device, and Mark Kenward’s attentive direction, that a fuller character develops… a sharp and delightfully bizarre satire of the motivational speaker market.” Nytheatre.com “Bodden’s Seabrook is a seeming Energizer Bunny boy of cleverly phrase-twisting, vapid advice…with the backstage backstory Bodden and director Mark Kenward smartly intertwine through the show…a generous helping of comedy with perhaps a little enlightenment thrown in as well.” San Francisco Chronicle “It helps that “Steve Seabrook” is so well directed by Mark Kenward. The show is impeccably paced, and Bodden’s comic timing is crisp.” Fresno Bee
Nicky Martinez, Toni Weingarten, Ben Caffee, Ashley Jaye, Penny Edwards
“I had dinner with a friend yesterday who came to our show. She has a son who is severely depressed and has anger outbursts – really not functioning well. Her husband has distanced himself from the situation and hasn’t wanted to talk with a therapist. After seeing our show – he feels the need to better understand his son and is willing to see a therapist to learn more about his son’s situation… Our show changed someone.”
directed by Mark Kenward, produced by Toni Weingarten, featuring performances by Ashley Jaye, Bennet Caffee, Penny Edwards, Nicky Martinez, Toni Weingarten. One in five Americans deal with mental illness each year – and yet you’d never know it as no one talks about it. These performers do! Some had a one-time brush with the disease and were able to come back to health with help. Others have a life-long running relationship with the disease and still live fulfilling lives. They use their talents to write and explore their experiences through performances carefully crafted under the direction of Mark Kenward. Their performances shine with resilience and humor while looking at the complexities of a variety of mental illnesses: bi-polar, borderline personality, anxiety disorder, depression, and suicidality. By sharing their own experiences the stain of stigma falls away – and community is found as we all come together to deal with this problem.
Produced at Stagewerx, San Francisco in May 2019
David Caggiano
”It’s a joy working with you Mr. Kenward…You brought me to another level – you are a gem of a director!” –David Caggiano
written and performed by David Caggiano and directed by Mark Kenward
ran for 6 weeks at The Exit. Winner of “Best of Fringe” honors at the 2012 San Francisco Fringe Festival. “Directed by Mark Kenward with a rip-roaring sense of fantasy that captures and enhances the biting satire in Caggiano’s first solo play, Jurassic Ark is a breathtaking joyride.” Huffington Post “Writer-performer David Caggiano’s zany, well-executed solo play…smartly directed by Mark Kenward…unfolds with a very cinematic imagination” SF Bay GuardianGANGSTERS IN FREAKY LAND
written and performed by David Caggiano and directed by Mark Kenward
premiered at the 2017 Edmonton Fringe Festival.★★★★ Vue Weekly – Edmonton
Angela Neff
“I can’t tell you how nice it is to work with someone who has the time and enthusiasm for my work. I was really looking for that and am extremely grateful to have found it in you. You really get the piece…you’ve given me the tools and direction to breathe the life into it that I knew was missing yet was unable to get on my own.” –Angela Neff
written and performed by Angela Neffand directed by Mark Kenward
earned rave reviews at fringe festivals throughout North America, including Edmonton, Winnipeg, San Francisco, Phoenix, LA, Fresno, and Washington. “a well-honed show…featuring vivid acting, nicely tailored prose, and a precise gestural vocabulary.” SF Bay Guardian★★★★ Global News – Edmonton
From the moment she steps onto the stage, Angela Neff has the audience in the palm of her hand…Neff’s mannerisms are so distinct, that she is able to fluidly transitions between her multitude of personalities by simply changing gesture.” LAtheatrereview.com
Howard Petrick
“I ended up with about 3 and a half hours of material, and I found a director, Mark Kenward, who is really a very good editor, and has taught me a lot about being on stage, and I’ve just worked with him and cut it down to a very fast-paced one hour…It has given me the confidence I needed to take the show out and have fun with it.” –Howard Petrick
written and performed by Howard Petrick and directed by Mark Kenward.
Ran for ten weeks at The Marsh Berkeley. Winner of the [“Outstanding Solo Performance” award at the 2012 Cincinnati Fringe Festival.★★★★★ “Wonderfully smooth and totally engaging” Cincinnati Performing Arts Examiner
“Petrick plays 20 characters…and each one comes across to the audience as a distinct personality…This performance ranks among the best solo acts that I’ve ever had the pleasure to attend over many years.” Winnipeg OnstageNEVER OWN ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO PAINT OR FEED
written and performed by Howard Petrick and directed by Mark Kenward.
“Best of Fest” at the 2014 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.★★★★★ Winnipeg Free Press
★★★★ CBC-Winnipeg
“Petrick plays 20 characters…and each one comes across to the audience as a distinct personality…This performance ranks among the best solo acts that I’ve ever had the pleasure to attend over many years.” Winnipeg OnstageFIGHT FOR 52¢
written and performed by Howard Petrick and directed by Mark Kenward, toured to several fringe festivals in 2016 and 2017.
★★★★½ NUVO Indy’s alternative voice
Houston Robertson
“I am keen on Kenward. What a great director, producer, promoter, and host. Thank you, Mark!” –Houston Robertson
written and performed by Houston Robertson and directed by Mark Kenward
premiered at the 2015 Rogue Festival in Fresno, and has since toured to several festivals including Indianapolis, Ottawa, and Edmonton. Discovery Run at The Marsh Berkeley 2016.★★★★ Global New – Edmonton
★★★★ “This piece is a passionately performed autobiography…a funny and inspiring tale of a woman going through a midlife adolescence and discovering new passions. Robertson portrays each character in her story brilliantly.” Vue Weekly – Edmonton
David Kleinberg
“Mark has been fabulous to work with. He elevated my performance level and deepened and shaped my script. I couldn’t be happier with the result. I’ve got a tough subject to deal with and he was with me all the way – encouraging, enthusiastic, tough when he had to be, and always available. Even some of his suggestions that I initially resisted turned out to be the right moves – stuff that was beyond me at my best.” –David Kleinberg
written and performed by David Kleinberg and directed by Mark Kenward
ran for 6 weeks at Stage Werx in San Francisco, as well trips to the New Orleans Fringe Festival, Rogue Festival (Fresno), and the Boulder Fringe Festival. It’s a great show, and really well-directed!” Annie SprinkleHEY, HEY, LBJ!
written and performed by David Kleinberg and directed by Mark Kenward, is the story of David’s time as an army combat correspondent in Vietnam.
Discovery Run at The Marsh San Francisco 2015. “Best of Venue” at the 2014 Boulder Fringe Festival. “as polished and moving a piece of theater as Capital Fringe is likely to see this year.” Washington PostRETURN TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME
written and performed by David Kleinberg and directed by Mark Kenward
premiered in 2017 at fringe festivals in Washington and San Francisco. Six-week run March & April 2018 at The Marsh San Francisco. Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Pick Theatre Bay Area Awards Recommended Pick Best of Fringe winner at 2018 Nugget Fringe (Grass Valley).
Olga Loya and Erica Lann-Clark
“Mark Kenward: affordable and affable and very smart! As we began to rehearse Believe It Or Not I discovered Mark was also unusually responsive in an out-loud, demonstrative way, so that I felt his audience response. That’s rare. With Still Shopping For God I discovered Mark’s keen line-edits! The show lost 20 minutes and gained power, humor, intensity, clarity, high-stake character relationships and focus. Mark is a friendly, nurturing, companionable, confidence-building, coach/pal. And that’s balm for the soul! When one of “me” wants to give up, because nobody cares if I do the work – Mark does!”
written and performed by professional storytellers Erica Lann-Clark and Olga Loya, and directed by Mark Kenward
played to sold-out audiences at the 2013 San Francisco Fringe Festival.STILL SHOPPING FOR GOD
written and performed by Erica Lann-Clark and directed by Mark Kenward
received several standing ovations at the 2014 Santa Cruz Fringe Festival and the 2015 Rogue Festival in Fresno.
Jeremy Julian Greco
“You have been so supportive of me during these two shows. You have helped guide the way for me. Most importantly, you believed in me and my projects.” –Jeremy Julian Greco
written and performed by Jeremy Julian Greco and directed by Mark Kenward.
Discovery Run at The Marsh August 2018 Best of Fringe honors at the 2017 San Francisco Fringe Festival. “a delightful hour of mirth mixed with adolescent angst brought on by a cast of characters that could make All in the Family, Roseanne, and Married…with Children seem a bit too Disneyfied.” Huffington Post “a raucous affair” Theater Jones (North Texas Performing Arts News)
David Jacobson
“Man, did I luck out finding the perfect director…You not only gave me my overall play structure and everything from overall character to individual line, word and moment reads to the footwork I needed, but you imbued me with confidence at every step and just the right degree of critical push…I look back in awe at all the work we did and how far the show came since that first afternoon I met with you, when I had an hour and a half of flabby/verbose copy and a buncha’ characters and scenes that were maybe on those pages somewhere…I’ll look back on this as one of the great leaps of my life in terms of committing to what seemed like an impossible task in too short a time frame and pulling off something that I was proud of.” –David Caggiano
written and performed by David Jacobson and directed by Mark Kenward
played to sold-out audiences at the San Francisco, Toronto, and Edmonton Fringe Festivals.DOGS’ MISERY SWAMP
written and performed by David Jacobson and directed by Mark Kenward
performed at the 2018 Edmonton Fringe Festival.
Charlie Hinton and Fred Johnson
“Thanks again for all of your support for Solitary Man, from your suggestion to my Hell in Paradise email to turn it into a solo show, through taking time out of your current schedule to work with me. I can’t tell you how much this means to me,.. Thanks again for your support, time, wisdom, and guidance with this project.”
written and performed by Charlie Hinton and Fred Johnson, and directed by Mark Kenward
has been performed in theaters and at community & activist events in California, Portland, and New York City. “Solitary Man is a solo performance that focuses on Charlie’s interactions with one particular inmate, Otis Washington, a 64 year old man who has been incarcerated for over 40 years… The very personal nature of Solitary Man will hopefully have a humanizing effect on the discussions around prison reform, which often focus more on policy than on the very real, personal impact incarceration has on prisoners and their family members.” togethertoendsolitary.org “So much more than a cultural experience. The play was gripping, emotional and real, with jazz trumpet sprinkled in… all the hearts in the room ached. It is a challenge to have a two-man show hold such interest, but I felt everyone sitting at the edge of their seats, because the drama, the emotional pull, was visceral.” San Francisco Bay View – National Black Newspaper
Kathleen Denny
“Thank you for all the work you do – for me, for my show, and for so many other performers. For me, writing is not difficult, but cutting is, and I had absolutely no prior experience in making text stageworthy, so a million thanks for your judgment, your shepherding.” –Kathleen Denny
written and performed by Kathleen Denny and directed by Mark Kenward
has toured to several fringe festivals across North America, including Boulder, Orlando, Fresno, San Diego, San Francisco, and Winnipeg.★★★★ “Funny, a wee bit poignant and entirely honest.” Winnipeg Free Press
Victoria Doggett
“Your tremendous support before, during, and after the Rogue Festival was absolutely amazing, and I appreciate it soooooo much. I don’t know if you realize it, but you are perceived as an absolute GEM in our world of performing, directors, and solo shows!” –Victoria Doggett
written and performed by Victoria Doggett and directed by Mark Kenward
presented at The Rogue Festival in Fresno and The Exit Theatre in San Francisco.
Garen Patterson
“Mark Kenward is a “Triple A” Director! Available: Prompt to communicate and willing to travel, give notes on performances… always there when needed. Accomplished: A well respected writer and performer, he directs from experience. Active: Mark is not afraid to jump in and try out his own suggestions (when appropriate), to edit script, to recommend and even provide performance opportunities. And more! His enthusiasm is contagious. His friendship and support is genuine and stimulating. His eye and ear for economy of movement and word: uncanny! His dedication and work ethic: truly professional!” –Garen Patterson
written and performed by Garen Patterson (with musical accompaniment by Deirdre Egan) and directed by Mark Kenward
premiered at the 2015 San Francisco Fringe Festival followed by a 2016 run in Sonoma, California.
Gloria Bromberg
“Your expertise refined the show down to its essence. It became a better, tighter show as a result. And I became a better performer. Thank you for your unwavering support and brilliant direction!” –Gloria Bromberg
written and performed by Gloria Bromberg, and directed by Mark Kenward
premiered at the 2015 San Francisco Fringe Festival.
Liz Macera
written and performed by Liz Macera and directed by Mark Kenward, is based upon Liz’s experiences as an outpatient palliative care nurse practitioner. She primarily works with nursing facility residents, and often has to counsel families as they make medical decisions about whether or not to prolong the lives (and suffering) of their loved ones.
Performed at fringe festivals in Boulder and San Diego, as well as for ethics classes, senior centers, and spiritual communities.