Kate Eastwood Norris

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Kate Eastwood Norris is a regional Equity actor with a wide range of stage
credits. Most recently she helped pack the house for an extended run of “She Stoops To
Comedy” at Woolly Mammoth Theatre, playing the dual roles of Kay Fein and Jayne
Summerhouse who provided the notable challenge of being on stage at the same time for
an 8 minute argument. Previously in 2007, she debuted at The Two River Theatre
Company in Red Bank, NJ as Kari in “The Pavilion”. In 2006, she wowed DC audiences
as Anna in Actor’s Theatre of Washington’s critically acclaimed “Boston Marriage”. The
spring found her tackling the role of the enigmatic Wren in the area premiere of Lee
Blessing’s new play “A Body of Water” for her debut at Round House Theatre in
Maryland. The summer months took her to the west coast for Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s
25th Anniversary season as Rosalind in “As You Like It” with Aaron Posner directing and
as Goneril in “King Lear” directed by Skip Greer. For the fall, she returned to her favorite
playhouse, The Folger Theatre, as Puck in Joe Banno’s 30’s movieland version of “A
Midsummer Night’s Dream” for which she won her first Helen Hayes Award for
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Play. This, her third Helen Hayes
nomination proved 3 was indeed a charm!

Other Folger credits include Beatrice in Nick Hutchinson’s “Much Ado About
Nothing”, Launce, Thurio, Antonio as well as two Outlaws at once (thanks to the help of
a double sided mask) in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, Olivia in “Twelfth Night”,
and Phebe, Adam and William in “As You Like It” – all directed by Aaron Posner, Kate
Hardcastle in “She Stoops To Conquer” directed by Richard Clifford and for Joe Banno -
Caliban in “The Tempest” as well as one of four Hamlets in “Hamlet”.
Elsewhere in the Washington, DC metro area-Kate has played Lydia in “Big
Love” for artistic director Howard Shalwitz and R.C. in “Bug” directed by Tony Award
winner Wilson Milam for Woolly Mammoth Theatre. She played the quadruple threat of
Celia, Irene, Rowena and Sylvie in “Intimate Exchanges”** and also Cory in “Private
Eyes” for Source Theatre Company-Joe Banno directing as well as Petruchio in “The
Taming of the Shrew” with Delia Taylor and Nina Leeds in “Strange Interlude” ** with
Kirk Jackson for Washington Shakespeare Company.

She is also the co-founder of The Little Globe Theatre, playing out of sculptor
Robert Cole’s studio in DC where she produced and acted in “The Two Character Play”
as Claire and in a variety of roles for “Rough and Lively” – an evening including a
Beckett one act and an adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You
Going, Where Have You Been?”. Little Globe also offered an original play –
“Knoyugogh” which Kate co-wrote with fellow founder Scot McKenzie.
During the past few years, Kate began expanding her base from Washington DC ,
bringing other regional credits to include Germaine in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and
Debbie in “Franklin’s Apprentice” for the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia and Lady Percy
and Doll Tearsheet in “Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts I +II”, Le Chevalier in “The False
Servant” and Yelena in “Uncle Vanya” for Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre. She also
spent a year as a company member for the American Shakespeare Centre, performing in a
variety of roles in 5 plays. Favorites include Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing”,
Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and the Fool in “King Lear”. Kate had touredfor two years at the start of her career with ASC’s international touring company
Shenandoah Shakespeare Express, for whom she performed in 7 plays, her favorite role-
the title character in Richard III.

Kate is also the recipient of the 2000 Theatre Lobby Award for
Performance, is a Theatre Arts graduate from VA Tech and has studied commedia
dell’arte in Italy. **indicates a Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress.

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