Marie Kelly

Marie Kelly serves as Programme Director of the MA in Arts Management & Creative Producing and Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies at University College Cork's Department of Theatre within the School of Music and Theatre. She previously held the position of Head of Department from July 2015 to July 2016.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Drama Studies (2011) and MA in Modern Drama and Performance (2005), both from University College Dublin. Prior to her academic career, she accumulated significant professional experience at the Abbey Theatre from 1993-2006, initially as Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director and subsequently establishing and leading the Casting Department.

Dr. Kelly's research integrates scholarly and practice-based approaches, focusing on dramaturgy, contemporary Irish theatre, theatre producing, and casting methodologies. Her work uniquely bridges cognitive science applications with performance studies, particularly examining consciousness frameworks in theatrical production. She has pioneered research connecting European and American theatre experimentation with contemporary Irish dramatic traditions, with special emphasis on Tom Mac Intyre's works.

Her publications demonstrate sustained scholarly engagement with Irish playwrights, theatrical consciousness, and casting theory. The research output reveals evolving interests from textual analysis of specific playwrights toward broader investigations of cognitive frameworks in performance and contemporary producing practices.

• Strategic Research Fund (2014)
• CACSSS Research Support Fund (2013)
• Strategic Research Fund (2013)
• Government of Ireland Research Scholarship (2006)
• Facing Forward award from Arts Council of Ireland (2005)

Dr. Kelly actively mentors postgraduate students while maintaining strong industry connections through her board memberships with Everyman Theatre Cork and previous involvement with Corcadorca Theatre Company. She coordinates Perforum events that connect students with leading practitioners and has organized national showcases at the Abbey Theatre. Her outreach initiatives include community workshops like The Lantern Project and Women of the South: Revolutionaries and Radicals series, demonstrating commitment to public engagement with theatre arts.