Blair Cadden (she/her) is a theatre artist and educator with a passion for creating supportive spaces that foster collaboration, community, empathy, and ritual.
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Blair is an East Coast-based director, deviser, dramaturg, and teaching artist. She is originally from Charleston, SC, where she was the co-founding Artistic Director of 5th Wall Productions, a scrappy theatre company with a focus on new work.
Some favorite directing credits include Red Bike, Time Stands Still, Polaroid Stories, and Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Boston University); Spring Awakening (5th Wall Productions); and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Flowertown Underground).
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Her devising work includes fury, created in residence at Duke University, and Crazy B*tch, created with 5th Wall Productions for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival
Blair holds an MFA in Directing from Boston University. ​
Some things I believe:
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I believe in the power of theatre because I believe in the power of story, community, and ritual.
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I am drawn to stories that explore our human-ness in all of its messiness and magic. I am less interested in stories of clear heroes and villains than I am in stories of complicated human beings. I prefer plays that ask more questions than they answer, always aiming to tell those stories in a way that provokes an audience to keep thinking long after the house lights have come back on. I am interested in contemporary works and new play development, as well as exploring and exploding old stories in ways that allow them to speak to us right now.
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I have continually found that seemingly small, intimate stories in fact have the potential to reveal large, resounding truths. And at the same time, I have found that ageless, archetypical stories have the potential to connect to each of us on a deeply personal level. I tend to seek out plays that live at the extreme ends of this spectrum—messed-up love stories unfolding in a single room, and epic myths unravelling across dimensions.
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I aim to prioritize our shared humanity not just in the stories I tell, but also in the process of telling them. I believe that every voice in the room is of value, regardless of official job titles. I also believe in the importance of good rehearsal snacks and readily available coffee.
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I believe that the best work frequently happens when we engage with the things that scare us; in order to make this possible, I believe in the necessity of creating brave and supportive spaces, where collaborators can feel free to risk, explore, and play.
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Much of my career has been spent making theatre in strange circumstances with limited resources, and from that I have become a huge believer in imaginative solutions over technical ones. I try to bring this flexible, scrappy sensibility into every process, even when resources feel abundant, to create a world that invites imaginative engagement from actors and audience alike. I believe this sense of community is the best gift theatre can give us, and I hope to create work that invites it.