Kelsey is a dual Certification candidate with the National Michael Chekhov Association in both Acting and Directing. Under the mentorship of NMCA President, Lisa Dalton, and Vice President, Wil Kilroy, Kelsey has received holistic training in the technique. In addition to NMCA, Kelsey has also worked with Chekhov practitioners from Michael Chekhov UK, GLMCC, and LAMDA.

 

All her directing work to date contains some aspect of the Chekhov technique in the form of embodied dramaturgy and an ensemble-focused rehearsal room. She believes in the radical use of Chekhov’s concept of the Higher Ego to create a safe and inviting rehearsal environment that inspires one’s creativity and imagination.

 

Kelsey has written two master’s theses on the use of Michael Chekhov’s technique in relation to directing Early Modern theatre. Her work was supervised by Dr. Paul Menzer, Dr. Tom Cornford, Michael Blackwood, and Keith Taylor. She has also presented this work on the Blackfriars stage as part of the American Shakespeare Center’s Friday Night Lights On series. Kelsey's work will be featured in the online resources for the forthcoming book from Routledge, Acting the Michael Chekhov Way: A Playbook for Healthy, Sequential Training by Lisa Loving Dalton