Hello! I’m Chelsea Drumel - a theatre artist based in Philadelphia, PA. As a director and dramaturg, I am passionate about creating theatre that is accessible, engaging, and in active dialogue with the world around us. My work is deeply influenced by my background in dance and music. I adore all kinds of theatre, but am most drawn to Irish Theatre, New Play Development, Musical Theatre, and the works of Samuel Beckett.
Currently, I serve as the Theatre Producer & Department Chair at The Shipley School, a K-12 independent school in Bryn Mawr, PA, where I produce five shows across divisions annually. In addition to producing, I direct the Lower School Musical and Upper School Shakespeare productions. Most recently, I directed and choreographed Frozen Jr. with forty-two lower school students and adapted and directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Upper School.
I earned my Master of Arts in Theatre with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Villanova University in May 2022. While at Villanova, my production credits included The Revolutionists (Stage Manager), Beckett Bites (Production Dramaturg), Bakkhai Variations (Production Coordinator), and the new play reading of The Galty (Stage Manager). As a graduate student, I studied abroad in Ireland with the Villanova Irish Summer Studio, where I took intensive courses in Irish Theatre at the Lir Academy in Dublin and conducted research in the Abbey Theatre archives at NUI in Galway.
I have worked on productions with Lincoln Center Education, American Repertory Theatre, Inis Nua Theatre Company, Bluelaces Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, Shakespeare Academy @ Stratford, and Tiltyard. I have trained at ESPA/Primary Stages, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Irish Arts Center. Before attending Villanova, I worked in New York as an administrator in the financial services sector at Apax Partners and Fortress Investment Group. While at Villanova, I was also an ambassador for the McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership.
As a scholar, I have participated in the Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium and the Beckett and Nature Conference at Lyon College, where I presented my research paper, Blazing Light: Applying Ecodramaturgical Practices to Beckett’s Plays. I hold a BA in Theater from Temple University and am an alum of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership program.
I am always excited to collaborate on innovative and thought-provoking theatre that resonates with audiences and artists alike.
Recent credits include:
What We Know by Pamela Carter (Dramaturg, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Meet Me At Dawn by Zinnie Harris (Dramaturg, Inis Nua Theatre Company)
Tales from Poe (Director, Hedgerow Theatre Company)
The Kiln New Works Program (Script Supervisor, People’s Light)