Cheryl Kennedy McFarren

Over the past 17 years, Cheryl Kennedy McFarren has shaped Denison’s theatre program through a deep commitment to the practice of performance. As Associate Professor of Teatre and Jonathan R. Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Teatre, she has supported generations of students in developing their craft, through an approach to theatre-making rooted in presence, collaboration, and creative agency.

McFarren’s path to the stage began in Oakland, California, where a summer recreation class first sparked her own interest in theatre. Encouraged by mentors who recognized her talent, she went on to study at the Young Conservatory of the American Conservatory Theater, where exposure to professional productions deepened her curiosity and ambition. Led by this momentum, she then earned a bachelor’s from University of California, Berkeley, followed by a master’s of fine arts from the National Theatre Conservatory, and a doctorate in theatre from the University of Colorado, Boulder. 

With more than five decades of professional experience, including 35 years directing and 30 years exploring the full range of theatrical production, McFarren has accumulated an impressive breadth of work. A member of Actors’ Equity Association, she has performed with companies across the country, including the Berkeley and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals and the Denver Center Theatre Company. These involvements cultivated a teaching philosophy grounded in the realities of real-world performance: that acting is not simply the delivery of lines, but an act of listening, responsiveness, and shared experience.

In 2009, that perspective found a home at Denison. After a long search for a university that afforded both close work with students and the space for scholarly engagement, McFarren was introduced to the institution through a meeting with Denison Professor Emerita Cynthia Turnbull (1957-2025). Turnbull became both a valued collaborator and a defining friend, and together with many colleagues, they helped advance a theatre-making model that has shaped the department for more than a decade: encouraging students to create, adapt, and think entrepreneurially about their work, building the tenacity and flexibility needed to sustain a life in the arts now and in the future. 

McFarren’s dedicated ethos has extended across disciplines, co-developing courses such as “Shakespeare by the Sword” with English Professor Peter Grandbois, which brought students to Stratford, Ontario, to experience live performance. Other offerings, including “Puppets: Performing Objects” and “Ayubowan: Arts and Culture of Sri Lanka,” reflected her commitment to theatre as an expansive and globally engaged practice. As a Posse mentor, she enjoyed supporting scholars in navigating their academic and personal paths, and for several years, she also provided incoming students with a first introduction to the arts at Denison through pre-orientation trips, providing an early opportunity to build community and explore the possibilities ahead. 

Her teaching emphasized collaboration, experimentation, and discovery, encouraging students to develop both technical skill and a strong sense of agency across courses from introductory to advanced levels. She reflects fondly on the moment when “the lights go on,” when students begin to understand not only how to perform, but how to connect. 

In retirement, McFarren looks forward to a quieter pace and new forms of service. Drawing on the listening, empathy, and awareness developed through a life in theatre, she is preparing to work as an end-of-life educator and guide, supporting individuals and families with care and compassion. Her time at Denison will be remembered for her mentorship, artistic rigor, and a deep belief in the power of creative exploration. For the many students and colleagues who have worked alongside her, those lessons will continue to resonate well beyond the stage.