Kirsten Childs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsten Childs
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| Born | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Playwright, librettist |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin; Bella: An American Tall Tale |
| Relatives | Billy Childs (brother) |
Kirsten J. Childs is an American writer who creates plays and musicals. She is known as a librettist, which means she writes the words for musicals. Before becoming a writer, she was also an actress.
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Kirsten Childs' Early Life
Kirsten Childs was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were both schoolteachers. She has a younger brother named Billy Childs, who grew up to be a famous jazz musician.
Her Career as a Performer
Kirsten Childs started her career in the late 1970s. She became a performer on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. In 1977, a well-known director named Bob Fosse chose her for a big role. She played Velma Kelly in the first national tour of the musical Chicago.
During the 1980s, Kirsten continued to perform in many Broadway shows. Some of these included Dancin', Jerry's Girls, and Sweet Charity. While she mostly acted on stage, she also had one important movie role. In 1989, she appeared in the comedy film See No Evil, Hear No Evil. In this movie, she played a character named Adele.
Becoming a Writer
After her acting career, Kirsten Childs began writing her own plays and musicals. Her first major work was a musical called The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. This show came out in 2000 and was based a little on her own life. It was performed off-Broadway and won an Obie Award, which is a special award for theater.
Other Musicals by Kirsten Childs
Kirsten Childs has written several other musicals. These include:
- Miracle Brothers (released in 2005)
- Funked Up Fairy Tales (released in 2007)
- Bella: An American Tall Tale (released in 2016)
Bella: An American Tall Tale was a very successful musical. It won the Weston Playhouse New Musical Award.
Teaching Musical Theater
Besides writing, Kirsten Childs has also shared her knowledge with others. She worked as a professor at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. There, she taught in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing program. This program helps students learn how to write their own musicals.
