Hey! I'm Chelsea
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✨ Hey! I’m Chelsea. I’m an actor first, a director by joyful compulsion, an educator by instinct, and a life-long learner by nature. I like big-hearted stories, smart rehearsal rooms, and people who commit fully — whether to a Meisner repetition or to a spontaneous dance break.
I’m an AEA actor (previously West Coast–based, next stop NYC), trained in Meisner, Stanislavsky, Viewpoints, Suzuki, and Laban, with a soprano/belt voice and a mover-plus-personality approach to dance. My type? Strong, warm, smart, and just rebellious enough. Think leading lady with a sense of humor, who can flip to villain or rocker chick when the lights change. I grew up making original plays at recess (I once copyrighted my childhood theater company “StoryGirls”), trained through CCM Prep, and earned my BFA from Elon University. Since then, I’ve spent 14 years working professionally as an actor, director, teaching artist, program director, artistic leader, events manager, marketing manager and occasional outdoor adventure guide/snowboard salesperson — because theatre people are built for everything. Career highlights include performing on the Broadway National Tour of Come From Away, playing roles like Jane (Jane Eyre, the musical), Cassandra (Austen's Pride), originating roles like Lady Mary (A Proper Place) or Teddy (Teddy and Max), and using all my vocal styles like in Maria (The Sound of Music) and Jenna (Waitress), founding and directing programs and new works in Seattle, and most recently directing/choreographing the regional premiere of Come From Away at Diamond Head Theatre — a production audiences and staff called one of the best in the theatre’s history. Offstage, I’ve taught thousands of hours in classrooms and rehearsal halls, built new musicals with young artists, and collaborated on original plays produced across Seattle. My research on arts leadership and education took me to national and international conference to present or lead workshops, and I freelanced as a corporate trainer. I gained career experience as a marketing manager and corporade production manager and later donor events manager. When theatre paused in 2020, I traveled to nearly 50 national parks, snowboarded over 100 days, converted a campervan, and lived in Honolulu — because life is short and curiosity is fuel. Now I’m back in Seattle for a one-woman musical before heading to NYC. I feel so grateful everyday to get to do this thing I love and I hope to get to connect with you to do it too. |
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Just your typical tuesday. Just kidding- Angry Housewives.
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QUICK FACTS
AEA Actor — formerly Seattle- and Honolulu-based; heading to NYC Height: 5’8” | Build: athletic Voice: Soprano/Belt Dance: Excellent mover (jazz, contemporary, pedestrian/athletic choreography) Training: BFA, Elon University Acting Style: Meisner, Stanislavsky, Viewpoints, Laban Type: Strong. Smart. Warm. Slightly rebellious. Leading lady with range. If I were a musical: Come From Away (obviously). Past homes: Ohio → Seattle → Tour → Honolulu Awards: Orchid Award (Best Leading Actress), Pearl Award (Best Supporting Actress), Footlight Award Nominee 
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BEHIND THE TABLE (DIRECTING + CREATING NEW WORK)
I bought a Samuel French notepad that said, “But what I really want to do is direct,” and… yeah. It stuck.
At Elon, I studied directing, leadership, and musical theatre, and became the first student to self-produce and direct a musical on the mainstage — a tiny revolution that sparked a system still supporting student-run work today.
In Seattle, Village Theatre gave me my first big directing shot with Oliver! where we broke Kidstage’s box office record and set a new retention record from show to classes. Later, a new-musical class I co-led created such a successful original piece that the board literally made a new budget line to give it a full production. It remains one of my proudest collaborative wins.
I founded the ENROOT collective at Taproot Theatre, raising funds toward our first season before the pandemic landed. As a writer, my plays (Stepping Stones, Sheltered, 8.5 Minutes, Daylight) have been produced or workshopped at Ghost Light Theatricals, TPS Studios, foundry10, and Taproot. I also co-wrote 78 Minutes for a NAMT submission.
And in 2025, I directed and choreographed the regional premiere of Come From Away at Diamond Head Theatre — a production repeatedly called one of the best in the theatre’s history. It was a joy to reimagine the piece for the islands with an extraordinary cast and creative team.
I bought a Samuel French notepad that said, “But what I really want to do is direct,” and… yeah. It stuck.
At Elon, I studied directing, leadership, and musical theatre, and became the first student to self-produce and direct a musical on the mainstage — a tiny revolution that sparked a system still supporting student-run work today.
In Seattle, Village Theatre gave me my first big directing shot with Oliver! where we broke Kidstage’s box office record and set a new retention record from show to classes. Later, a new-musical class I co-led created such a successful original piece that the board literally made a new budget line to give it a full production. It remains one of my proudest collaborative wins.
I founded the ENROOT collective at Taproot Theatre, raising funds toward our first season before the pandemic landed. As a writer, my plays (Stepping Stones, Sheltered, 8.5 Minutes, Daylight) have been produced or workshopped at Ghost Light Theatricals, TPS Studios, foundry10, and Taproot. I also co-wrote 78 Minutes for a NAMT submission.
And in 2025, I directed and choreographed the regional premiere of Come From Away at Diamond Head Theatre — a production repeatedly called one of the best in the theatre’s history. It was a joy to reimagine the piece for the islands with an extraordinary cast and creative team.
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild, and precious life?" - Mary Oliver