About

Carly O’Brien (she/her) is a theatre director, educator, and scholar. 

As a director, she is interested in stories about female empowerment and issues of representation. She values truth, and is drawn to plays which offer insight into the human condition with unflinching honesty. Favorite directing credits include: Elektra by Sophocles (translated by Anne Carson), Denim Doves by Adrienne Dawes, Perfect Pie by Judith Thompson, stoning mary by debbie tucker green, Radium Girls by DW Gregory, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, columbinus by Stephen Karam, PJ Paparelli, and the United States Theatre Project, and Two Rooms by Lee Blessing (production photos and details can be found under the Productions tab). A production she directed (White Gleaming Beach by Greg MacArthur) recently advanced to "Best of Fest" at FronteraFest, a fringe festival in Austin, Texas. O’Brien has developed many new works both as a director and dramaturg (exhaustive list can be found in CV tab), and she is also interested in Opera, due to her musical inclinations and experience.

O’Brien holds a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Texas State University, a Master of Arts in Theatre from Oklahoma State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Performance from Oklahoma Christian University. She has developed and taught curriculum for Beginning and Advanced Acting, Directing, Theatre History, Diverse American Drama, Film, and Introduction to Theatre and Fine Arts classes. 

O’Brien's scholarly pursuits have earned her opportunities to present papers at conferences in Oklahoma and Texas, including the Ninth Annual International Research Conference for Graduate Students and the Texas Educational Theatre Association Academic Symposium (more details can be found in the CV tab). Her major research area involves viewing canonical works through the lens of contemporary Feminist Theory and Criticism in order to determine performance value according to current day practices. 

Carly currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Performance and Stage Management at the University of Central Oklahoma. She has previously held teaching positions at East Central University, Oklahoma State University, Texas State University, and St. Gregory’s University. She is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.