ACTOR
Francis Kelly began his acting career at the age of 5, when his excellent reading skills garnered him the coveted role of “the Ringmaster” in his kindergarten class’s circus play. He grew up performing in school and community theatre productions in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City, and while in college, he began his professional career doing a summer of stock theatre at the New London Barn Playhouse.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Francis completed the Actor Training Program at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. While a member of their acting company, he appeared as “Jack” in their record breaking runs of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and originated the roles of “the White Rabbit” and “the Dormouse” in their world premiere of Wonderland, Brian B. Crowe’s psychological investigation of Lewis Carroll and his stories.
Francis’s New York credits include playing “Mayor Bloomberg” (as well as various other characters) in the NYMF Audience Award-winning production of Smoking Bloomberg; “Harry”, the stuttering Communist, in Kander & Ebb’s Flora, The Red Menace; “Burrs” in Michael John LaChiusa’s The Wild Party at Columbia Stages, and the dual role of “Old Major” and “Benjamin the donkey” in the Drama Desk nominated New York premiere of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Notable regional credits include playing “Seymour” in Little Shop of Horrors at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and performing his first solo show, Dan Butler’s The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me... with Immediate Theatre Project at North Carolina Stage Company. Francis has worked with other regional theaters including Mill Mountain Playhouse in Virginia, The Fulton Opera House in Pennsylvania and the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, New York. He also appeared in Smokey Joe’s Café at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, and in Forever Plaid at both Greenbrier Valley Theatre and the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
Francis is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.