Kate Lumpkin
Director & Choreographer
narratives that demand conversation
My Creative Lens
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Theatrical worlds that are immersive, visually striking, and emotionally resonant.
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A focus on productions that invite rich discussion, dynamic casting, and heightened theatricality.
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Story-First & Actor-Driven: I prioritize deep character work and layered storytelling, ensuring every performer understands their emotional and narrative function in the piece.
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Immersive & Innovative: I want to break traditional staging to make a show feel immediate and experiential.
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Theatrical but Grounded: I lean into the heightened worlds of musicals but always ensure that the emotional core remains honest and compelling.
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Physicality as Character: My choreography is deeply tied to who the characters are and what they’re experiencing. Whether it’s fluid and lyrical or sharp and percussive, it is always expressive, not just technical.
Direction and Choreography Samples
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Director & Choreographer, James Madison University
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical
Director, James Madison University
Choreography by Beau Harmon
Rent
Director & Co-Choreographer, James Madison University
Co-Choreography by Mel Comeau
Once
Director & Choreographer, James Madison University
“In my experience, Kate Lumpkin is a dream Director. She comes to each piece with her own perspective, creates engaging & safe spaces for performers to operate in, and as production manager, I very much appreciate that she is always willing to collaborate with the design/production team to make sure a project is in scope. Her projects are high caliber and my favorites to attend. She’s passionate, joyous, and I wish I could work with her all the time.”
Brian Smallwood (Production Manager, Associate Professor of Theatre: Production Management, Technical Direction)
“Kate Lumpkin is an incredible and inspiring artist to work with who always pushes her students to the next level. Working with Kate has brought me to places I never thought I’d be and inspired me to take paths I didn’t know were there. Anyone who gets the honor to work with Kate Lumpkin will quickly realize that they are in a room with a kind hearted genius.”
Elliott Davis (Actor - SpongeBob, Rent, Great Comet, Once)
“Working with Kate is always a fun and rewarding treat. Her visions are creative and inspiring, and she has a way of challenging artists to make bold and exciting choices while maintaining a safe and playful environment. Each time I have been a part of her directorial productions or collaborated with her as a choreographer I have been left fulfilled and motivated as a performer and creator. She is extremely knowledgable in her craft and it shows in the way that she professionally runs a rehearsal room. Each process that I have been a part of with Kate working as the director has been joyful, proficient, and unique. I am always excited to see what her creative mind has come up with when approaching a new project, and the connection that she has with her audiences is tremendous. The shows that she directs has a way of touching hearts and minds both in the cast and audience. Overall she is a dedicated and thoughtful director and choreographer, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with her.”
Carrigan Young (Actor / Associate Choreographer - SpongeBob, Great Comet)
"I've worked as music director on several shows that Kate has directed/choreographed at JMU and consider her a trusted collaborator. The care & enthusiasm she puts into the whole process, from casting to production, is felt by all involved, and she really shines at fostering a team environment so that cast, creative team, crew and musicians can feel a sense of belonging and pride in the projects. As a director and choreographer, she is highly creative and innovative, with a knack for creating memorable stage pictures & meaningful storytelling, and it's a pleasure working with her."
Adam Shenk (Music Director - Rent, SpongeBob, Great Comet)
“Kate Lumpkin is a force. She is the most organized and efficient director I have ever had. She knows what she wants and consistently pushes actors to bring their best to the project. The reason she can do this is because she cultivates an environment of trust in the director to actor relationship that allows the actor to feel safe to fail and prevail. Every show Kate directs at JMU is a favorite experience of those in the cast. She consistently finds ways to grow with each project never settling or getting complacent.”
Harrison Melton (Actor - Once, SpongeBob)
“Kate Lumpkin tends to favor an immersive aesthetic when directing a piece which makes sense because working with Kate in a rehearsal room is a completely immersive experience. She is consistently on her feet with the actors, putting her whole self into a body of work. I have never worked with such a physical director who really dives into a piece headfirst as much as, if not more than, the actors. Her vision for theatre that she unabashedly pulls from her lived experience and the unique inner workings of her mind produces pieces that are raw, innovative, and fresh, invoking a sense of “jaw-drop” every time you see them.”
Mason Jett (Actor - Rent, SpongeBob, Great Comet)
“Kate is the most organized directer I have worked under, always staying on schedule and keeping the rehearsal room running professionally and sufficiently. She creates a safe space for collaboration, exploration, and problem solving for all her students. During Great Comet I worked as her associate choreographer, in this process she allowed me to have creative freedom when choreographing, while mentoring me in taking charge of a company. Overall whether Kate was my director, choreographer, or teacher, she has always had my best interest at heart and is willing to make sacrifices for my success.”
Alyssa Minuto (Actor / Associate Choreographer - SpongeBob, Great Comet)
“Working with Kate Lumpkin as a director/choreographer has been the most freeing experience I have ever had as an artist. Her work begins months in advance where she provides so much information to allow everyone to prepare in a way to show up on the same page. When in the room she helps to tailor the movement and language to match each individual artist while keeping a strong unity of theme throughout. When working on Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, she spent so much time one on one with us guiding us to understand the truth behind our characters, while also allowing an artistic freedom to present our own ideas and thoughts of who we believe our characters are. She does the same thing with the movement language of the shows as well. In the song “Pierre,” she created an ensemble movement piece that changed the way the song felt for the better. She took every performer and used them to create the feelings that Pierre struggled with in his head. Overall, there is never a moment breezed over and you have to truly take in every detail to understand the depth in the stories she tells.”
Brandon McKinney (Actor - SpongeBob, Great Comet)
Who I Am
Who I Am
Recently named one of the Broadway Women’s Fund’s " 50 Women to Watch on Broadway," Kate Lumpkin (she/her) is the Founder of and Lead Casting Director at Kate Lumpkin Casting, CSA. Collectively, as a casting professional, she has worked on over 40 TV/Film productions and 90 theatrical productions in New York City and across the USA including shows at The Kennedy Center, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The A.R.T, NYTW, and many others.
Kate is also a Director/Choreographer and teaches workshops in New York and at numerous Colleges + Universities. She was recently named an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at James Madison University. She has a degree in Anthropology and Folklore from Indiana University and is a graduate of the acting program at the William Esper Studios in NYC.
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Curiosity, Integrity, Diverse Perspectives, Collaboration, Respect, Boundaries, Equity, Growth, Opportunity, Inclusivity + Truthfulness
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Theatre that focuses on the communal aspects of storytelling, delving into the art of transformative and illuminating experience for an audience. I am deeply committed to creating projects that resonate on a profound level with theatergoers and engage all of their senses.
Whether it's exploring untold stories from history or shining a light on contemporary social injustice, I approach each creative process with a sense of reverence for the material and a dedication to finding actors who can authentically embody the characters and themes at hand, while engaging audience members in a way that both challenges them and remains safe.
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These are the Standards of Practice that I will hold myself, and all of my employees, responsible to for as long as I am working.
-I will serve creatives with integrity, usefulness, privacy, and responsiveness.
-I will show respect for all creatives by creating clean, safe, focused, prepped, and engaging spaces.
-I will not touch a creative collaborator without verbal consent. Nor will I use harassing, inappropriate, or invasive language. I will provide a safe space for others to tell me if they feel uncomfortable in any way and will attempt to make any changes necessary to ensure they feel safe.
-I will avoid conflicts of interest between creatives whenever possible.
-I will forego the gratification of ego for the demands of the work.
-I will not engage in caustic criticism of another creative’s work from an urge to increase my own prestige. I will engage in thoughtful conversation that pushes the art form forward.
-I will observe courtesy and shall comport myself in strict compliance with industry standards, best practices, and union rules.
-I will create environments and pathways for equitable access to services, resources and decision‑making.
-I shall direct my efforts in such a manner that when I leave the industry it will stand as a greater, more equitable, inclusive, and more truthful institution for my having labored there.