A! Magazine for the Arts

Dr. Kelly Bremner

Dr. Kelly Bremner

E&H theater professor honored

March 30, 2015

Dr. Kelly Bremner, an Emory & Henry College theater professor, has been named a finalist for the 2015 "Rising Star" Faculty Award from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.

Bremner, who has been selected as a finalist for the award for two consecutive years, has been repeatedly recognized for her success as a theater director and producer and for her mentorship of students who have won major regional and national theatre competitions.

A member of the E&H faculty since 2010, Bremner has directed numerous plays that have enjoyed large audiences and critical acclaim, including numerous Meritorious Achievement awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

In much of her work, Bremner seeks to connect theater productions to audiences in ways that will lead to positive social action. For example, in 2012, the E&H theater department under her leadership was selected to produce the Virginia version of a nationwide election-year production of "44 Plays for 44 Presidents," which was tied to a nationwide voter registration drive.

"I hope my students come here with a sense of personal pride in their theater work, but I hope they leave with a deep understanding of the way in which choosing theater as a career is to choose a way of acting, not just on the stage, but on behalf of others."

One of her former students, Devin Altizer of the E&H class of 2014, said Bremner approaches her teaching and directing with a great sense of purpose that becomes infectious. "Her work extends beyond the confines of the classroom and the stage. ... She acts as an advocate for each of her students and helps them in any way she can."

Bremner is one of a long list of E&H professors who have been recognized by SCHEV. During the last 28 years, Emory & Henry professors have won 17 state and national awards for teaching.

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