Scholar of the Month
Terri Kent
Professor
College of the Arts
1991-present
An accomplished director, actor and educator, Terri Kent is a professor in the School of Theatre and Dance at the College of the Arts. She is the coordinator of the musical theatre program and is the producing artistic director of Porthouse Theatre, 5X’s summer professional theatre.
Kent’s research focuses on the development of the Kent Movement Method, which combines the methods of Laban and Stanislavski, and its application to musical theatre performances. Currently, Kent is exploring the creation of two new musical theatre exercises called “The Split Song” and “Exchanged-Role Duets” and investigating the role of human mimicry in the performance of two actors working in collaboration. As a director, Kent maintains an interest in reconceptualizing classic musical theatre pieces to fit into contemporary budgets and nontraditional spaces.
In 2015, Kent directed the first fully staged production of the new musical “My Heart is the Drum” as part of the School of Theatre and Dance’s mainstage season. The musical was a selection at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s Festival of New Musicals in 2013 and was workshopped at Kent State in the fall of 2014.
As producing artistic director of Porthouse Theatre, Kent helms an educational and professional laboratory that provides training to more than 125 artists-in-training and entertainment to more than 20,000 visitors annually. She also has developed the Porthouse Theatre Academies that provide comprehensive training in the theatre arts for high school, college and international students each summer.
Kent has performed and directed nationally and internationally. She made her professional acting debut at Porthouse Theatre in 1983 and has performed locally at Cain Park, the Ensemble Theatre, Cleveland Play House and Great Lakes Theater. Kent’s directing credits include productions off-Broadway at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre, the Halle Theatre, Weathervane Playhouse and Porthouse Theatre.
Kent received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Communications from the University of Mount Union. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Society of Directors and Choreographers, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and SAG/AFTRA.
About Kent State’s Scholar of the Month
Kent State’s Scholar of the Month recognizes faculty researchers and scholars whose recent work has had an important impact on their professional fields and has brought exposure to the university. Each month, a different college will have the opportunity to nominate a researcher/scholar for this recognition. There is also a month when a faculty member from the Regional Campuses will be featured.
The selection process is in the hands of the dean and his or her colleagues and faculty. Hence, this is recognition by the person’s college colleagues that is then taken up by the university. The deans communicate the person’s name to University Communications and Marketing for recognition as Scholar of the Month.