Trish Brown

Trish has been a director for the past 20 years, directing plays, musicals, TYA productions, and educational theatre. She holds a BA in Theatre from Principia College and an MFA in Directing from the Chicago College for the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Though she now calls St. Louis home, much of Trish’s early professional work took place in Chicago where she worked as a director, an actress, and an educator for a variety of companies including Wisdom Bridge Theatre, Northbrook Theatre, Ivanhoe Theatre, and Hinsdale Center for the Arts. Trish has also taken directing seminars with Robert Falls at the Goodman Theatre, Gary Sinise at Steppenwolf Theatre, JoAnne Akalaitis at The Court Theatre, and Mary Zimmerman at Northwestern University. A process-based, ensemble director, Trish is trained in and utilizes a number of acting methods in her work. She is also a founding member of The Moving Dock Theatre Company, a Chicago-based company dedicated to the actor’s creative process through the use of the Chekhov technique.

In addition, Trish has a passion for education. It was that passion which prompted her to return to the St. Louis area to assume the role of Associate Professor of Theatre at Principia College in 2000. At Principia Trish redesigned and built the College’s Theatre program. Her educational productions won numerous recognitions, including two Best Production for State of Illinois awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Under Trish’s tutelage and direction several of her students were admitted to professional training programs including the Neighborhood Playhouse Acting Program and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She also has students who are now AEA members. Trish has been an Illinois Arts Council Artist in Residence, a Wise Write judge for the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, and a respondent for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Most recently Trish resigned her professorship to pursue her professional directing career. She is now a freelance theatre and film director, as well as a private acting coach preparing actors for theatre, commercial, and film auditions. She is also the director and co-producer of two new projects - Petalwink: the Musical, a new TYA production currently in development, and “Bottom Little Theatre”, a comedy web series now in post production.

Trish is a member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, St. Charles Filmmakers Group, MICHA, ATHE, and the College Theatre Council of Greater St. Louis.