Kathleen  Coombs

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
​"The Brains"

Someone recently asked what I did and I told her the usual spiel, "I am a "writer, director, lyricist, composer, playwright, actor, singer." And after we spoke for a few minutes she said, " I like that you're a poet and you've found such great ways to channel that."

A poet. Funnily, I started as such. Writing adolescent poetry in a blue notebook between classes. A bruised narrative of the usual angst.
But now? A poet. Maybe I'll take it.

Kate is a playwright, director, performer, and composer with a love of all things music. She is the General Manager and Resident Director of 'Drunk Shakespeare" in Chicago's Theatre District, the Creator and Artistic Director of The Album Project. In 2019,  she was commissioned to write a new adaptation of Snow White, which premiered at Orphan Girl Theatre in Montana. In 2016, Kate directed "Avenue Q" at Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse (SALT Award Nominee - Best Director of a Musical, Best Musical). Additional directing projects include "Legally Blonde, Jr." at TexARTS, "Spring Awakening" with glory|struck productions (StageSceneLA Award – Best Direction) and "A Day at The Beaches" at 3 Clubs in Hollywood. While receiving her MFA in playwriting from UCLA, Kate co-wrote "8, The Play" with Dustin Lance Black, which premiered at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre. She also produced and directed the Sacramento premiere of the work, which has now been performed in hundreds of cities across America. Other written stage works include the book of "Life Sentence, the Musical" (Lincoln City Fellowship Grant recipient), "Sex, Love, and Yoga," "The Great Buford Fire Funnel" (UCLA Coppola One-Act Festival), "click" (LATC Playwright Festival, UCLA New Play Festival, LA LGBT Center Stage Reading), and "Cuore Mio – My Heart" (DC Source Festival). She was also commissioned to write the screenplay for the independent film "Blossoms." Kate is also a prolific songwriter and composer, both for musical theatre and the open-mic scene.  As a performer, Kate has appeared in numerous musicals and plays and has hosted many a piano bar and cabaret shows. In 2019, she performed in "LezSing" Cabaret at Chicago's Pride Films and Plays and in 2020 performed in Fireflower and Trans Voices Cabaret's joint cabaret "Year of the Queer" Performer Showcase at Stage 773 . Kate is currently writing a new musical with her collaborator Patrick Burns, is reworking a musical, and perfecting her sourdough technique. Kate hardly ever tweets.

     BREN  COOMBS

    PRODUCING DIRECTOR
     "The Brawn"

I have had multiple people tell me that I "Get Shit Done," so that has become my personal mantra, my work ethic, my driving force, the first line of my bio, the title at the top of my resume, and my guarantee. 

As a kid with too much energy, who was too bossy, and would rather create and do than sit still, I was a natural producer and stage manager.

Bren is a producer, stage manager, marketing guru, and artist who gets shit done. She is the Creator of Rad Bren Productions and ​Executive Producer of The Album Project. In 2019, Bren became the Resident Prop Master for the Chicago Conservatory of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, designed props for "How to Defend Yourself" at Victory Gardens Theater and "In the Blood" for Red Tape Theatre in Chicago, and produced our "Year of the Queer" showcase along with Trans Voices Cabaret. Bren has produced the world premieres of "Sex, Love, and Yoga" and "The Great Divide" (LA Times Critic's Pick), as well as the 10th year anniversary re-staging of "7 Redneck Cheerleaders." She has also produced "Out in Alabama" (International Documentary Association sponsored), as well as numerous events for All My Children, Spectrum TV's SxSw pop-up, and various interactive theatre events. Bren has staged managed, built sets, and managed social media for hundreds of shows at theatres on Hollywood's Theatre Row. She was also the Box Office Manager for "Backstreet Boys, Show Em What You're Made Of" and the interactive horror company, "Delusion." Further, Bren directed "Ex-Lovers" with Axes on Fire and "La Ronde" with the Elephant Theatre Company. As a red carpet correspondent, event reporter, and photojournalist, Bren has worked with ABC, NBC, CNN, the LA Times, Bloomberg, HLN, the Emmys, GLAM Magazine, and other publications. She has also been art director on various film and stage productions and was Technical Director and Set Designer for Concordia University Texas. On rare occasions as a performer, Bren has been seen partying with Sally Field in "Hello, My Name is Doris," on stage in "Mortified: The Show" and its accompanying podcast, and as the title character in the short film "Holy Shit, Barbie." Bren is currently producing a new musical, a documentary film, content for multiple websites and social media accounts for various entities, while also hosting a virtual book club with friends. Bren tweets a lot.

YES, WE'RE RELATED. NO, WE'RE NOT SISTERS. DO YOUR OWN MATH. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR WORK. YOU WILL BE GRADED ON THIS.