Directing alum Kim Weild '07 serves as Co-Artistic Lead and Director of The Apothetae Residency at The Public Theater in New York, where she is developing innovative approaches to inclusive theatre-making. Launched in late 2023, the initiative focuses on creating new protocols for bilingual and accessible theatrical development.
The residency, a collaboration between The Public Theater and The Apothetae theatre company, has completed its first phase of developing a bilingual production of Titus Andronicus in English and American Sign Language (ASL). In 2024, with support from a Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant, Weild and Katherine Williams held two public salons exploring "Reading Deaf Virtuosity: ASL and Theater-making" and "Disability Aesthetics and Artistic Innovation."
"A focus of the residency is to be a laboratory, to provide us with time and space to investigate and develop best practices for collaborative creative processes with Disabled, non-disabled, Deaf, HOH and hearing artists," Weild said. The project will continue with a workshop in June 2025.
Weild collaborates with Gregg Mozgala from The Apothetae and Williams—a dramaturg and Shakespeare scholar from the University of Toronto—in leading the residency. The team aims to mount a full production of Titus Andronicus in 2027.
Weild brings extensive Broadway experience as Associate Director on productions including Deuce with Dame Angela Lansbury and Blithe Spirit with Rupert Everett. Her work has been recognized with a Drama Desk Award nomination and the NY Innovative Theatre Award, and has been presented at venues including Shakespeare's Globe London, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. She currently serves as Chair of Directing for the John Wells Directing Program at Carnegie Mellon University.