Hello! I’m Chelsea Drumel - a theatre artist based in Philadelphia, PA. As a director and dramaturg, I am passionate about creating theatre that is accessible, engaging, and in active dialogue with the world around us. I adore all kinds of theatre, but am most drawn to Shakespeare, Irish theatre, musical theatre, and the works of Samuel Beckett. I also love building something new - whether that’s through devising, adaptation, or the new play development process. My work is deeply influenced by my lifelong background in dance and music.

Currently, I serve as the Theatre Producer & Department Chair at The Shipley School, a K-12 independent school in Bryn Mawr, PA, where I produce five shows across three divisions annually. In addition to producing, I direct the Lower School Musical and Upper School Shakespeare productions each year. Most recently, I directed and choreographed Mary Poppins Jr. with a cast of fifty lower school students, and adapted and directed an outdoor production of Romeo & Juliet for our Upper School.

I earned my Master of Arts in Theatre with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Villanova University in May 2022, where I focused on directing and dramaturgy. As a graduate student, I studied abroad in Ireland with the Villanova Irish Summer Studio, where I took intensive courses in Irish Theatre at the Lir Academy in Dublin and conducted research in the Abbey Theatre archives at NUI in Galway. While at Villanova, I was also an ambassador for the McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership.

My credits include work with Lincoln Center Education, People’s Light, Hedgerow Theatre Company, Inis Nua Theatre Company, American Repertory Theatre, Bluelaces Theatre Company, and Delaware Theatre Company, among others. I have trained at ESPA/Primary Stages, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Irish Arts Center. Before attending Villanova, I worked in New York as an administrator in the financial services sector at Apax Partners and Fortress Investment Group.

As a scholar, I have participated in the Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium and the Beckett and Nature Conference at Lyon College, where I presented my research paper, “Blazing Light: Applying Ecodramaturgical Practices to Beckett’s Plays.” I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from Temple University and am an alum of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership program.

I am always excited to collaborate on vibrant, innovative and thought-provoking theatre that resonates with audiences and artists alike.

Additional recent credits include:

  • Meet Me At Dawn by Zinnie Harris (Dramaturg, Inis Nua)

  • Tales from Poe (Director, Hedgerow Theatre Company)

  • The Kiln New Works Program (Script Supervisor, People’s Light)