Lenni Stone (née Kmiec) is a theatre practitioner specializing in Shakespeare, scholar, dramaturg, and performer. 

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Lenni received a BA in Theatre & Speech from Wagner College and a MA with Distinction in Shakespeare & Education from The Shakespeare Institute at the University of Birmingham (UK). Her MA dissertation work focused on the accessibility of teaching Shakespeare in neurodiverse communities. She is a contributing writer for Teaching and Learning Shakespeare Through Theatre-Based Practice published by Arden Shakespeare (Bloomsbury) in 2024.

 

Lenni completed three certifications in Royal Shakespeare Company’s classroom and professional pedagogy in October 2023. Currently only one other individual in the USA has this credential. 

 

Lenni is currently the Chair of Theatre at Iowa Conservatory (ICON), a performing arts boarding high school in Iowa City.  She teaches courses in acting, movement, and musical theatre performance. She is also the Artistic and Education Director for International Theatre and Dance Project (ITDP), a university-level theatre abroad program that brings students from the US to study theatre in Greece each summer. Additionally, she has taught Shakespeare and Musical Theatre Dance for ITDP and has taught Shakespeare and other theatre coursework in the Cayman Islands for CayStage. She formally served eight years as both Arts Concentration and Humanities faculty at a small private high school outside of Boston, nine years at the Reagle Youth Theatre Workshop (five as the program Director), and over ten years as the Director of Educational Programs at The Alexander Children's Theatre School (ACTS), where she has taught acting, musical theatre, and dance. She has taught theatre workshops and masterclasses at Wagner College, Cornell College, University of Idaho, and choreographed for the mainstage at Wellesley College.

 

Lenni has directed and choreographed at various summer youth and college-level theatre programs and teaches dance, acting, and musical theatre workshops year-round for ages 10-25. She is a former New York City and Boston-based actor, singer, dancer, and a member of Actor's Equity Association. Lenni served as an equity dance captain and performer on the Reagle Music Theatre Mainstage for six consecutive summers. Additionally, she has worked with the American Repertory Theatre, the Daryl Roth Theatre, Lyric Stage Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Gloucester Stage Company, Seacoast Rep, Central Square Theatre, Underground Railway Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Hanover Theatre, OBERON, and Metro Stage Company.   ​​​

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