Meet Kati Grace Brown | Actor & Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kati Grace Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kati Grace, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I discovered a love of singing first, participating in school choruses and show choir and my church’s praise band. Before singing, I don’t remember having an avenue to really express myself. I did sports and and excelled in school, but for the most part all of that had the theme in common of someone telling me what to do. Executing instructions correctly. There was not a lot of ‘me’ in the gym or in the classroom. Singing led to dancing and acting and even doing some opera with Huntingdon College in Alabama while I was still in high school. I know my dad would have probably rested easier at night if I had decided to be a lawyer or a college professor (like both of my parents were), but when it came to choosing a college it was music/ theatre or bust for me. And once I did my first Summer internship at Barter Theatre in Virginia… there was no going back. Being a performer and bringing stories to life was the most exhilarating way that I could imagine spending my time, and I was determined to make it my career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to thing of myself as the “intern/ apprentice that just wouldn’t leave.” When I found companies that I admired and loved being a part of, I was persistent to the point of peskiness to find a way to carve out a place for myself. After my first Summer interning at Barter, I stayed in touch and ended up being given additional opportunities to work as an electrician, spot op, sound op, understudy and actor. That theatre really became an extension of my college “family” and I was so grateful to be able to balance going to school and then driving 10 minutes down 1-81 to continue to be a part of the tremendous company that is Barter. Similarly, upon completing my apprenticeship with Atlanta Shakespeare, I was always on the hunt for ways to make myself useful. In my 14 years with the company I have been an actor, SM, ASM, bartender, house manager, teaching artist, box office associate, playbill ad salesperson, dance choreographer and puppeteer. Currently I am acting as Associate Producer and continue to act, direct and explore my new passion for Intimacy Choreography. It’s a real point of pride for me that I have worked from the ground up, from cleaning toilets and carrying spears in small roles, to understanding just about every facet of the company I have committed my professional life to.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Eats– Antico Pizza, Leon’s Full Service, Barcelona Wine Bar Drinks– Little Spirit, Three Taverns and Orpheus Breweries and Sprig
Neighborhood hopping- Little 5 Points, Decatur Square, Oakhurst Village, Inman Park
Sites- The Beltline, Ponce City Market, Sweetwater Creek, Atlanta Botanical Gardens/ Piedmont Park
Entertainment- A show at Star Bar or Drunken Unicorn, a show at 7 Stages, Synchronicity Theatre or, of course, the Shakespeare Tavern!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Laura Cole, Katy Brown and Betty Hart were the, specifically female, directors and mentors that helped me crystalize my values as an artist.

Website: shakespearetavern.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kati-grace-brown-aa4575173

Image Credits
Daniel Parvis Photography, Jeff Watkins