About
Richard Kenyon
- Richard Kenyon is a theatre and film director, producer, and acting coach with more than 30 years of experience across North America. He specializes in Shakespeare and classical theatre but has worked extensively with contemporary plays, new works, and film. His directing style is actor-centered and minimalist, focusing on language, imagination, and storytelling that connects directly with audiences.
- Richard has founded and led several theatre companies, including The Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare in the Mountains in Canada, and Soul In Bliss Theater in Los Angeles, where he serves as Artistic Director. He has directed more than 75 Shakespeare productions, launched new play festivals, and developed outreach programs that make theatre more accessible. He is especially drawn to theatre in the round, immersive performance, and creating work that brings actors and audiences into close connection.
- While Shakespeare has been at the center of much of his career, Richard's interests extend across theatre and film. He has a particular appreciation for playwrights such as Bernard Shaw and Harley Granville Barker, and has directed for the 14/48 Festival, where two original plays are written, rehearsed, and performed in just 48 hours.
- As an acting coach, Richard has worked with performers at every stage of their careers, helping them develop confidence, vocal clarity, and a strong connection to both classical and contemporary text. His students have gone on to train at programs including Long Island University Post, Adelphi University, Loyola Marymount University, and Seton Hill University.
- In 2025, Richard completed a lifelong goal of acting in, directing, and producing every play in Shakespeare's First Folio. That same year, he created and directed a one-day marathon of all eight of Shakespeare's history plays called the Wars of the Roses, adapted into hour-long staged readings.
- Richard has also directed and produced award-nominated films, including Insomniac and A Girl's Guide to Drowning. Whether on stage, on screen, or in the rehearsal room, his work is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and helping stories come alive through the actor.