My Story:
Hi there, My name’s Kevin! I’m an actor, theatre educator, and audition coach working and living in NYC.
Kevin Kemler is a New York City based Actor, Audition Coach, Theatre Educator, and Higher Education Administrator. Combining his love of performance with his thirst for knowledge, Kevin exhibits both a strong foundation of practical theatre training as well as a strong base of theoretical knowledge in the field of theatre history and theory.
As a native New Yorker, Kevin has taken advantage of his surroundings; honing his craft at some of the country's leading actor training programs. He began his journey as an actor under the mentorship of Trudy Steibl at HB Studio and continued his studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute prior to obtaining a degree in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College in 2015. Kevin is continuing his studies at Virginia Commonwealth University: VCUarts, where he expects to earn his MFA in Theatre: Pedagogy & Performance by 2023.
Combining his love of theatre with his exceptional administrative skill-set, Kevin has been working for the past 7+ years, with some of the nation’s premiere undergraduate theatre programs. He began his career in higher education at Manhattan School of Music, where he was integral in designing, developing, and managing a recruitment plan for the new Musical Theatre program alongside its founder, Luis Perez, while also overseeing both undergraduate and graduate programs in the school’s Classical Conservatory. Upon completing his tenure at MSM, Kevin journeyed back home to his alma mater where he currently serves as the Assistant Director of Fine & Performing Arts Admissions. Kevin also maintains a private audition coaching studio and facilitates college audition intensive workshops with A Class Act NY (ACANY) each year.
Education:
Kevin graduated Marymount Manhattan College magna cum laude, with a double concentration in Theatre Performance (Acting) and Theatre History & Performance Texts. He is currently continuing his studies in Teaching, Coaching, and Acting Pedagogy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, where he is expected to earn his MFA in Theatre Pedagogy/Performance by 2023. Kevin is also a proud member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE).
Headshots
Professional & Theatrical Experience
Artist Statement:
Thoughtful, imaginative, and innovative theatre does not and cannot exist within a vacuum. Instead it requires an ongoing dialogue with the world around it. As theatre artists we are encouraged to playfully explore what it means to be human and we extend this exploration to spectators in hopes that we can all become mirrors to society and possibly even agents of change.
This notion of exploration is central to my philosophy as an actor. For me, the reflection of my work does not come from within the theatre itself. Instead, I find my personal inspiration staring at me from across the street every morning, sitting across from me in a high-stakes business meeting, pressed against my shoulder in the doorway of a crowded Q train, reaching around me at the grocery store checkout counter, or challenging my thinking inside the safety of the classroom. These observations of the world and my experiences with and within them inform all of the choices I make on the stage.
What drives my exploration and work as an actor are the fundamental and philosophical questions that continue to mystify us as human beings. Why are we here? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be human? As an educator and student I possess an endless thirst for knowledge, and what better way to learn than living out the myriad paths of others through the characters that I play. Each character I embody provides me with a new perspective on how to better understand some of life’s most daunting questions.
As I continue my work as an actor, I challenge myself to dive deeper in my quest for answers, to be more aware of my surroundings, to be open, to learn from others, and to not be afraid to respond and offer guidance to the many issues that plague our present time.
I do hope that you will join me as I continue my journey for Truth.
CHEERS,
Kevin
Production Photos
Photos Courtesy of Marymount Manhattan College and Gerry Goodstein Photography.
Acting Reel
O Pioneers! (2015) | Marymount Manhattan College Department of Theatre Arts
Exciting News!
3-Day Online Pre-College Intensive
No Audition Required | High School Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, & Young Adults | Saturday-Monday August 15-17 | Cost to Participate 375.00 | Cost to Observe 75.00
SOLD OUT! JOIN THE WAITLIST or PURCHASE AN OBSERVATION TICKET!
Payment Plans Available – please call our office at 212.315.3010 or email us to set up a payment plan today!
Calling actors with aspirations of attending a top BFA, BM, or BA Musical Theatre College Program!
Do you need guidance on the college admissions process like, how do I go about choosing the right material that showcases me, my vocal range and my unique personality? How do I create a professional and memorable pre-screen video? Do you want to know what college admissions officers are looking for?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, ACANY’s 3-Day Pre-College Audition Intensive is for YOU!
Work all weekend alongside college admissions officers Wayne Petro, Associate Director of Enrollment for the School of Performing Arts at Pace University, and Kevin Kemler, Director of Fine and Performing Arts Admissions at Marymount Manhattan College!
Welcome to my private studio!
Kevin Kemler Coaching is officially up and running! As an acting coach my primary goal is to make the college audition process as transparent and approachable as possible. As an actor myself, I know how overwhelming and scary it can seem, but I am here to demystify the process and guide you through it every step of the way.
In addition to a traditional weekly one-on-one coaching, I also work with all of my clients on college program selection, acting/audition technique, audition material selection, self-taping (for prescreening/digital auditions), resume building, mock audition experiences, and tailored guidance through the entire college application & admission/audition process.
Along with my experience as an actor & coach, I also bring to the studio 5+ years of experience working in higher ed admissions for some of the country's leading undergraduate theatre programs. I have included a hyperlink to my professional website below, so that you can get to know a little bit more about my professional background and teaching philosophy.
READING ALERT! - Jane Chambers Award Reading (ATHE)
2019 WINNER - IN THE CERVIX OF OTHERS, BY ALICE EVE COHEN.
THE JANE CHAMBERS AWARD recognizes new plays and performance texts created by women writers which present a feminist perspective and that provide significant opportunities for female performers. This annual award, founded in 1984, welcomes experimentations in form and in subject matter. It is given in memory of lesbian playwright Jane Chambers, who through her plays such as A Late Snow, My Blue Heaven, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, and Kudzu became a major feminist voice in American theater. Sponsored by the Women and Theatre Program with the Association for Theater in Higher Education, the contest understands feminism to cross an array of class, sex, race, national, ethnic, theatrical, and/or geographic perspectives.
2-Day Pre-College Audition Intensive : A Class Act NY
Work all weekend alongside college admissions officer Kevin Kemler, Director of Fine and Performing Arts Admissions at Marymount Manhattan College, to prepare for the showcase with more admissions officers Sunday! This 2-Day College Prep Intensive will leave you confident and ready to take on the daunting task of applying to college musical theatre programs!
Welcome To My Studio!
Ignite Your Passion | Harness Your Talent | Master Your Craft
About the Studio:
As an acting coach my primary goal is to make the college audition process as transparent and approachable as possible. As an actor myself and a graduate of a top-tier college acting program, I know how you are feeling this very moment (scared, anxious, excited!) and I am here to help demystify the experience and guide you through it every step of the way. Along with my experience as an actor & coach, I also bring to the studio almost a decade of experience working in higher ed admissions for some of the country's leading undergraduate theatre programs.
As you are probably quickly learning, both the college application and the college audition process is a robust, multifaceted, and oftentimes overwhelming experience. If you’ve landed here, you probably had the following thoughts run through your head:
“Where do I even start?!”
Do I have to apply to the college first?”
How do I schedule my audition?”
“How do I know which school has the best program for me?”
Can I believe the Top Ten Theatre Program lists on the internet?”
“How do I find a monologue?”
“What is a monologue?!”
“Do I have to do Shakespeare?”
Deep breaths! YOU can do this!
My Approach:
My approach to coaching, and acting at-large, is through a lens of safety and compassion. My job as your coach is to help you fully realize all of your potential, build confidence in your own artistic voice, and give you the tools necessary to channel all of your talent into your work. Perhaps the most important lesson you will learn with me is that you are enough. There will never be another you, no one else can offer what you have to offer. If you begin your work as an actor with this fundamental truth as your basis, then I promise that there will be no limit to what you are able achieve.
What I Offer:
1-hour weekly coaching session
Acting/Audition technique
College program guidance and selection
Audition material selection
The art of self-taping
Resume building & headshot selection
The “do’s and don’ts” of the admission and audition process
Mock college audition experience
College student panel
A personalized experience based around you and your goals
Work With Me!
If you are interested in learning more about working with me and joining my studio, fill out the form below to schedule a virtual 30-minute consultation free-of-charge! This consultation will will provide you:
A chance to inquire more about my studio and services.
Detailed information about pricing for weekly coaching sessions and/or audition prep packages.
Most importantly make sure that my studio is a good fit!
Testimonials:
Work With Me!
Height
5' 11"
Weight
173 lbs
Hair Color
Brown
Eye Color
Hazel/Green