LINDA AMES KEY is the Education Director of Vital Theatre Company in NYC. Vital is a Lead Partner with Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School in Canarsie and boasts partnerships at Fordham High School for the Arts, PS 6, PS 24, PS 166 and PS 199.
As a director of Youth Theatre: TWILIGHT LOS ANGELES: 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith; BANG BANG YOU'RE DEAD By William Mastrosimone (Fringe First Winner, Edinburgh Fringe Festival); THE LARAMIE PROJECT by Moises Kaufman and Tectonic Theatre Ensemble (Fringe First Winner); THE LARAMIE PROJECT, Cochrane Theatre, London, BRINK OF LIFE by Oliver Lake and Laura Ekstrand at Dreamcatcher Rep. Non youth theatre credits include THEY’LL MISS YOU… by Suzanne Bradbeer, ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS by Jane Martin, THREE DAYS OF RAIN by Richard Greenberg, THE LARAMIE PROJECT and THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER with Dreamcatcher Rep; 365 PLAYS/365 DAYS by Suzan Lori Parks for Gansfeld at Public Theater; EMBRACING FREEDOM by Nick Van Hoogstraten, REMEMBER THE DREAM by Carla Cantrelle for the Ellis Island Foundation; LONE STAR GRACE and RITA FAYE PRUITTE by Suzanne Bradbeer for Six Figures Theatre Company; FULL BLOOM, THE RISEN CHRIS, BETHLEHEM, MY WIFE'S COAT and OVERHEAD for Vital Theatre; THE KLEZMER NUTCRACKER, A TOOTH (FAIRY) TALE, MY NEW YORK and THE NASTIEST DRINK IN THE WORLD for Vital Family Programming; ALISON'S HOUSE and OF SLEEP AND SHADOW at the Mint Theatre Company, NIGHTS AT THE CIRCUS, CLOWNING THE BARD at FringeNYC, DEGAS IN NEW ORLEANS at E.S.T's Oktoberfest.
As a Teacher and Teaching Artist, she taught, directed, developed curriculum and/or implemented residencies at Greenwich Academy, The Calhoun School, Rutgers, Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School, Fordham High School for the Arts, The Knowledge Project, the Mint Process Company, Dreamcatcher Rep’s Summer Youth Camp and Vital’s Junior Performance camps. From 1991-1998 she was the NYC liaison for Melbourne Theatre Company, State Theatre of South Australia and Mannie Manim Productions South Africa. Education credits include a matriculating MA in Applied Theatre, CUNY (Graduation, 2012); BS in Performance Studies, Northwestern University; NYU Arts Administration Certificate. She is a graduate of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College Clown College and Actors Theatre of Louisville Apprentice Program.
