We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Kennedy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Because the mission of Creative Action Unlimited is to create original theater and film productions that focus on social issues, part of that mission requires that all of our work be meaningful – and that it inspires audiences to take action in their local communities. For me, our original production, titled Any Addict, was particularly meaningful, because it represented my own leap of faith that I would be able to effectively combine my experience in human services and theater in a way that would move and inspire others. I began CAU with the money I had left (after paying bills!) that I inherited after my mother’s death, so it was important to me to do something with that money that might have a large impact. I started by doing a show about addiction and recovery, interviewing 20 people with real life experience with the topic to create the foundation of the script. My goal was to do a second production about a different social issue if we were able to make enough money with Any Addict to cover our expenses. And here we are, 10 years later, having created 14 original stage productions and 5 films, plus having paid $75,000 to artists over the past 4 years.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a playwright, director, actor and producer whose credits include productions about caregiving, re-entry after incarceration, totalitarianism, anti-war activism, racism and classism, sex trafficking of minors, suicide and substance use disorder. My theater work includes teaching for six years at the NYS Theatre Institute Theater Arts School and SummerStage programs, where I created original productions with high school students, as well as directing and acting locally for decades. I also have over 30 years of human services experience, including direct client services, management, community organizing, case management, counseling and creative group work. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development, a Master’s in Community Psychology and have completed extensive specialized training in creative action methods with individuals and groups. My professional experience in human services has focused on addiction, domestic violence, grief support for crime victims, and designing and developing a successful peer support program for clients living with HIV and other chronic illnesses.
I am currently the Founder and Artistic Director of Creative Action Unlimited, a non-profit theater/film production company dedicated to creating original work addressing a myriad of social issues. CAU offers two mainstage productions a year and smaller performances in response to rapidly emerging social injustice concerns. In addition, Creative Action Unlimited is the umbrella organization for the regional Social Justice Artists Collective, providing support, promotion, and opportunities to perform, teach, and collaborate for artists whose work intersects with social justice.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Creative Action Unlimited was focused only on theatrical productions until the COVID shutdown, which negatively impacted so many theater companies, forcing many of them to close their doors permanently. CAU was able to pivot to creating films during that time by doing collaborative script writing and rehearsing online, carefully managing film shooting days by following COVID guidelines, and offering our films online. This pivot increased our knowledge and confidence about our ability to work in film as well as theater and, as a result, we’ve created some multimedia stage productions since COVID restrictions were lifted.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

While attending an “Artist as Entrepreneur” training during the early days of Creative Action Unlimited, one of the presenters said, “Audiences are buying the way you see and experience the world.” This one quote has helped me remember that my unique set of experiences, my artistic vision, and my way of interacting in community is essential to the success of CAU.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://creativeactionunlimited.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativeaction.unlimited/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057173961771&sk=about
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@creativeactionunlimited2584