Wil Kilroy

Having served USM for over 23 years, Professor Kilroy was granted emeritus status in 2015.  Wil continues to serve as the Director of the USM Theatre Academy, a residential summer program for 13-18 year olds.

Currently Wil is Managing Director of the American Southwest Theatre Company, in residence at New Mexico State University where he serves as Department Head for Theatre Arts in their new, state-of-the art facility where their stage is named after renowned playwright and colleague, Mark Medoff.

Wil has worked nationally as an actor and director, having appeared in productions ranging from Steve in Becky’s New Car, with the Good Theatre in Portland to Michael in Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding to Laertes in Hamlet, with TV appearances including As the World Turns, All My Children, Babylon Five, and commercials.  Wil is also an alumni guest artist for The State Ballet of Rhode Island where he annually plays the role of Dr. Coppelius in Coppelia.

Wil’s directing credits range from Nunsense to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – an original presentation which was devised with the cast, and his productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Laramie Project, and Purple Breasts were all chosen to perform at the New England Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival. Purple Breasts was presented at several additional venues, including at the National Breast Care Conference in Washington, D.C.

Wil was part of a cultural exchange which entailed teaching and directing in Mytilene on the island of Lesvos, Greece, and he taught in London for several summers.  As the co-founder of the National Michael Chekhov Association, along with the executrix of Michael Chekhov’s estate, the late Mala Powers, Wil performs as Vice President, and has taught workshops all over the country, in venues ranging from Loyola Marymount University to Bowling Green University, and at various national conferences.  Wil has been a workshop presenter and participated as an actor/director annually for the New Play Development Program at the national conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Wil is former New England Chair of the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival, and was awarded the Kennedy Center bronze medallion for achievement in Theatre Education in 2014, adding to three other Kennedy Center medallions he has been awarded over the years.  Wil has also served as the chair of the New England Theatre Conference.

Wil is the recipient of the Moss Hart Award, the Maine Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Award, an acting scholarship for study with Uta Hagen, USM’s Advisor award, and USM’s Outstanding Teacher/Scholar Award. Wil is also a certified fitness instructor.

Additional Training:
The National Shakespeare Conservatory, NYC
The American Academy of Dramatic Art
H.B. Studios, NYC
The Michael Chekhov Studio, NYC