THEATER LATTÉ DA ANNOUNCES KELLI FOSTER WARDER AS ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/DIRECTOR OF IMPACT

Kelli Foster Warder, Photo by Tommy Sar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept 10, 2020

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) Theater Latté Da announces today that Kelli Foster Warder will be joining the company as Associate Artistic Director/Director of Impact. An artist and educator based in the Twin Cities, Foster Warder has been a teacher and an arts administrator for over 25 years. Her work as a choreographer and director has been seen across stages in the Twin Cities and across the country including Theater Latté Da, The Ordway, Children's Theatre Company, The 5th Avenue in Seattle, Washington, Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida and the ZACH Theatre in Austin, Texas. She has directed and choreographed internationally in both La Paz, Bolivia and Panama City, Panama. As Associate Artistic Director/Director of Impact she will become a strong voice in artistic planning, deepen the company’s community engagement, and advance initiatives in inclusion, diversity, equity and access. 

Foster Warder’s relationship began as Assistant Choreographer for Theater Latté Da’s production of AIDA in 2013. Since that time she has collaborated with Founding Artistic Director Peter Rothstein, serving as Choreographer and/or Associate Director on 11 productions including Cabaret, Oliver, Our Town, Steerage Song, Ragtime, Five Points, Once, Chicago, and Bernarda Alba. 

“Collaborating with Kelli Foster Warder has made me a better artist and a better human being, shares Founding Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. “Since our first collaboration I have looked for opportunities to work together and to include her in the Latté Da family. She brings a palpable wisdom, passion and commitment to the art form, and believes the performing arts can be a vital force in creating a more just world.”

Foster Warder’s 25 plus years of experience as a teacher and program director in educational and performance settings has meant a career of creating opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds of all ages to maximize their growth and depth as people and artists. In her roles at Hennepin Theater Trust and the Ordway, she developed, created and implemented education and community engagement programs serving musical theater programs across the state, providing for thousands of students a year to participate in matinee programs, and serving as a speaker and facilitator across the country. Her work has brought students, artists and the community together to foster deeper understanding, develop lifelong skills and a love for the arts. As a performer and an educator, Foster Warder has had a clear focus on diversity and inclusion, helping to write the first district-wide diversity plan for the 4th largest school district in Minnesota. Her passion for justice and the arts has combined to allow her to create programming and experiences to stretch both students and educators alike, working tirelessly to open up spaces for more diverse voices to be seen and heard. She resides in the Twin Cities with her husband and three children. 

Theater Latté Da is an award-winning Twin Cities musical theater company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artist, and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater.  www.latteda.org

###