Keely Enright is the founding producing artistic director of the Village Repertory Co., a professional theatre company now celebrating twenty years in Charleston. She was born and raised in Southern California, and is a proud alumnus of UCLA. She had been a Gone With the Wind fan since childhood and knew of Charleston only through the book and movie as the home of Rhett Butler! A chance trip out here for a wedding in the mid 90’s ended up changing her life. She immediately fell in love with the Lowcountry! Once she moved here with her family, Keely never thought they would stay so long, but once they arrived it was hard to go back. Keely loves what she does and feels very fortunate to be celebrating twenty years of theatrical productions right in our beautiful community!
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I work closely with my husband Dave Reinwald, the managing director of Village Rep. We have four wonderful children ranging in age from 28 to 18, and we are just about to become empty-nesters as our youngest daughter just graduated high school and is heading to California to attend college in the fall.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I spent my twenties working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles at 20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema. I began producing equity-waiver theatre in Hollywood right out of college and spent a good bit of my time in basement theater spaces off Sunset Blvd. After producing theatre for a couple of years with various companies in Charleston, my husband and I founded the Village Repertory Co. in 2001 and set up shop in a former fitness center off Coleman Blvd. in our little shopping center venue- The Village Playhouse. We built a large following, and we spent 12 years in the original space before moving downtown to open the beautifully restored former meatpacking warehouse, Woolfe Street Playhouse in 2012. Covid closed our doors in March of 2020 and we were forced out of our home venue in September once it became apparent that we would not be able to open to full capacity for more than a year. I am proud to say we did not let the closure of Woolfe Street Playhouse dampen our enthusiasm for live theatre. The company began rehearsals for OUTDOOR performances last summer and has been taking Village Rep “on the road” ever since. We are currently in rehearsals for our fifth new original musical production since Covid hit and will be touring the new show in August, including a performance at the beautiful Mount Pleasant Townhall great lawn. We are actively looking for a new indoor home so that we can get back to producing dramas and new plays along with the musical offerings!
I have a lot of favorites in my work. I design sets for our productions as well as direct many of the plays and musicals we produce. There are so many creative aspects to my work, and I truly love all of it!
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
In Mount Pleasant Kid Cashew, Tavern and Table. Downtown favorites- Leons and Felix
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
27 years! After my oldest daughter was born, it seemed like the perfect time for a dramatic move! We packed up our lives in Cali, made the move across the country, and settled in Mount Pleasant.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Sterling K. Brown, the Emmy Award winning star of This is Us. When he was here working as one of the leads on Army Wives, I got to know him. What an incredibly bright and talented man. I could not be more thrilled for his much deserved success!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
The French Riviera. I am working on a story about a distance relative who was in the French Resistance during World War II, and it takes place there!
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I am obsessed with old movies, so the list is impossibly long! As for TV shows, best show of all time – I Love Lucy. I was a major Mad Men fan, and it remains one of my all time favorites. More recently? Schitt’s Creek, The Great, Fleabag, The Crown, Barry, and my guilty pleasure – Outlander!
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Do what you LOVE! Take your work seriously, but please don’t take yourself seriously.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
To go to Ireland. My family on both sides comes from Ireland, and I really want to see it.
Q: What is your go to band when you cant decide what to listen to?
Queen
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Glenn Close- I have been a fan since her very first film, The World According to Garp, and just relate to her. I would probably take us to Leon’s.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Watching the sunset from Shem Creek
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I hope I am still producing theatre here in the Lowcoutry!
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I am an excellent snow skiier. I have lived here so long and never get to ski anymore.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
The Carribbean
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
My favorite month is June, when summer is starting. Christmas is my favorite holiday, because my son loved it so much when he was little, so Christmas reminds me of him!
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Being a mom of little kids! When my kids were two, it was the greatest time!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My kids and really good artists who are great at what they do.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Actually pluffmud. There is nothing that says “home” like getting off the plane at Charleston airport and smelling the pluffmud!
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Beach, sun, ocean
