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Kevin Welch

Artistic Director

Kevin is a native Bostonian who spent his formative years on the North Shore. In high school Kevin was encouraged by a teacher to audition for the school’s drama guild, and this began a lifelong love of live performance. While in high school Kevin began performing with local companies, such as Pastimes Entertainment, and was afforded the opportunity to learn immersive, interactive theatre at site-specific productions around the Boston area. After graduating high school Kevin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his honorable discharge from the service, Kevin attended Merrimack College and jumped back into theatre. At Merrimack, Kevin performed both for the Visual and Performing Arts Department, as well as the student run theatre group the OnStagers, of which Kevin was an Executive Board Member and President. In his senior year Kevin was awarded the Merrimack College Performing Artist of the Year Award. A long-time amateur historian, after leaving Merrimack Kevin began working in Boston as an Actor at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, teaching the tales of pre-Revolutionary Boston through a participatory reenactment of the Destruction of the Tea. Kevin would eventually leave the Museum to pursue another calling– working with homeless veterans as a Housing Advocate and Peer Support Specialist at the New England Center and Home for Veterans in Boston. During the pandemic Kevin co-founded the Olde Essex Stage Company, a Salem based itinerant company producing theatre in non-traditional spaces around the North Shore. The challenges of found space theatre necessitated a company culture steeped in collaboration, ingenuity, and adaptability. Kevin and the team from the Olde Essex are thrilled to be able to set down roots and help establish the new Salem Playhouse. Kevin still lives North of Boston with his wonderful wife and two wacky children. Professionally, Kevin has continued his work as a public servant, working for local municipalities as both a Veterans Service Officer and career Firefighter.

Kevin is a native Bostonian who spent his formative years on the North Shore.

In high school Kevin was encouraged by a teacher to audition for the school’s drama guild, and this began a lifelong love of live performance. While in high school Kevin began performing with local companies, such as Pastimes Entertainment, and was afforded the opportunity to learn immersive, interactive theatre at site-specific productions around the Boston area.

After graduating high school Kevin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following his honorable discharge from the service, Kevin attended Merrimack College and jumped back into theatre. At Merrimack, Kevin performed both for the Visual and Performing Arts Department, as well as the student run theatre group the OnStagers, of which Kevin was an Executive Board Member and President. In his senior year Kevin was awarded the Merrimack College Performing Artist of the Year Award.

A long-time amateur historian, after leaving Merrimack Kevin began working in Boston as an Actor at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, teaching the tales of pre-Revolutionary Boston through a participatory reenactment of the Destruction of the Tea. Kevin would eventually leave the Museum to pursue another calling– working with homeless veterans as a Housing Advocate and Peer Support Specialist at the New England Center and Home for Veterans in Boston.

During the pandemic Kevin co-founded the Olde Essex Stage Company, a Salem based itinerant company producing theatre in non-traditional spaces around the North Shore. The challenges of found space theatre necessitated a company culture steeped in collaboration, ingenuity, and adaptability. Kevin and the team from the Olde Essex are thrilled to be able to set down roots and help establish the new Salem Playhouse.

Kevin still lives North of Boston with his wonderful wife and two wacky children. Professionally, Kevin has continued his work as a public servant, working for local municipalities as both a Veterans Service Officer and career Firefighter.

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