Christopher Kauffman
Adams Professor in Theatre Arts Professor
Theatre Arts
Contact
Address
Lower Level
300 North Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-1400
Education
BA Gettysburg College, 1992
MFA Brandeis University, 1995
Academic Focus
Acting; Directing; Devising; Clown
Chris is the Adams Endowed Professor of Theatre Arts at Gettysburg College where he teaches Acting and Directing and directs productions for the department. Since beginning teaching full-time in 2004, he has directed over thirty productions for the college, including The Prom; Stupid F'ing Bird; Shakespeare in Love; Love and Information; Everybody; King Lear; Speech and Debate; Circle Mirror Transformation; Into the Woods; The Imaginary Invalid; The Story; Measure for Measure; A Streetcar Named Desire; Sense and Sensibility; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; and A Chorus Line among others.
He spent six seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival as co-director of The Greylock Project, teaching Playmaking, directing, and acting in the program that paired at-promise youth with theatre professionals in the process of creating original theatre.
Prior to teaching at Gettysburg, Chris lived in New York City for ten years performing in productions at Bleecker Street Theatre; HERE Arts Center; The Brick Theatre in Brooklyn; and PS 122 among other venues. He has also acted regionally at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA; Perseverance Theater in Juneau, AK; The Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre on Cape Cod; Theatre Project in Baltimore; a national tour of The Miser; a tour of Brazil with contemporary dance company Dona Orpheline. He's acted locally at Totem Pole Playhouse as Cratchit in A Christmas Carol and Col. Mustard in Clue.
With collaborator Richard Harrington, he co-authored and performs in three award-winning, interactive comedy pieces: Hotel California (Official selection, HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival); Nharcolepsy; and Cabaret Terrarium, all of which played in New York City and in several theatres or festivals throughout North America. Upcoming projects with Harrington include playing Cabaret Terrarium at the Kraine Theatre in New York City in the summer of 2023.
He has extensive experience acting for the camera, including the David Simon HBO limited series We Own This City; the Apple TV series Lady in the Lake; and the features Audrey's Children, A Gettysburg Christmas, and 1000-1: The Cory Weissmann Story.
He has an M.F.A. in Acting from Brandeis University and studied with Philippe Gaulier in New York and at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France, as well as with Aitor Basauri, David Shiner, and Jango Edwards. He was twice a participant in the Teacher Development Program through The National Alliance of Acting Teachers, studying with Ron Van Lieu, J. Michael Miller, Slava Dolgachev, Chris Bayes, Brandon Dirden, Crystal Dickinson, and Kenneth Noel Mitchell.
Member: National Alliance of Acting Teachers; Actors Equity Association; SAG-AFTRA.
Recipient of The Johnson Center Excellence in Teaching Award.
First Concert: Duran Duran (Seven and the Ragged Tiger tour 1984)
Favorite Concerts: The Smiths (The Queen Is Dead tour 1987)
Concerts I wish I had seen: Joni Mitchell Court and Spark Tour; Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life tour; Coltrane Giant Steps; Nina Simone Live at Carnegie Hall; Steve Martin Wild and Crazy Guy.