Abigail Killeen

Abigail Killeen’s performance research showcases her work as an actor, director, and producer with a passion for generating theatrical projects that redefine traditional narratives while elevating women into leadership on and off the stage.

A standout achievement in her career is her role in the theatrical adaptation of Isak Dinesen’s beloved short story, "Babette’s Feast." She spearheaded the project (credited as conceiver and producer) and performed in the ensemble. Babette’s Feast premiered at Portland Stage before transferring to New York for a run Off-Broadway at the Theatre at St. Clement’s. The production received critical acclaim, including a nomination from the Off Broadway Alliance for its "Most Unique Theatrical Experience" Award. Babette’s Feast is published by Dramatic Publishing and continues to be performed worldwide.

Abigail is a company member of Compagnia de’ Colombari, an esteemed international theater company based in New York under the artistic leadership of Karin Coonrod. She has showcased her versatility in Karin Coonrod’s adaptations of Shakespeare’s King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, “More Or Less I Am” (based on the work of Walt Whitman), and Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge” in New York. She has contributed to the forthcoming book chronicling Ms. Coonrod’s body of work, Karin Coonrod’s Transnational Theatre (Bloomsbury).

Performance in her home community is one of Abigail’s values, evidenced by her commitment to Maine’s thriving theater scene. She performs regularly with Portland Stage, Maine’s only LORT theater, along with Good Theater, Portland Shakespeare Company, Dramatic Repertory Company, Fenix, and The Theater Project. Her work has been recognized among “Best of the Year” by the Portland Phoenix, as well as garnering regional award recognition. She has originated roles in New York, Boston, and Portland, credited in scripts published by Dramatists Play Service, Dramatic Publishing, and Concord Theatricals.

Killeen also works on-camera and is featured in commercials, film, and limited series television. She is represented by The Andrew Wilson Agency. Together with Welker White of The Moving Frame she has presented internationally on acting for the camera and is committed to helping theater artists transfer their training to on-camera performance.

Killeen holds a BFA in Acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in Acting from Brandeis University’s Professional Actor Training Program. Her pedagogy and writing examine inclusivity in the art of teaching acting, Active Analysis (also known as “late” Stanislavsky) and bringing the art of practice to theory by co-teaching with Bowdoin colleagues.