North Carolina – Maigan Kennedy

Hey, y’all! My name is Maigan Kennedy. I’m 27 and I grew up in Durham, North Carolina, just outside the capital city of Raleigh. I’ve been acting professionally for about four years, and have won awards for both solo and ensemble performances. I recently graduated with a BA in Theatre Performance and served as an officer for Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honors fraternity. I also take great pleasure in working backstage, most recently as general manager for a local, professional, nonprofit theatre. Another passion is music composition. I compose for theatre and movement pieces, and my composition style, fueled by caffeine, blends cello, piano, and voice to provide melodic (and sometimes eerie) underscoring for productions. My compositions have been featured statewide by professional and college theatre troupes. I’m a classically trained singer and cellist, and I play piano, guitar, bass, and tin whistle... I’m also trying to learn the bodhrán. Wish me luck! I’m fortunate to be involved with two community arts organizations: Arts in Action, a group that emphasizes healthy lifestyle choices, and Theatre4Change, a group focused on teaching conflict resolution through improvisation. I also volunteer with the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, where I coach English as a Second Language classes, outfit apartments for new arrivals, and mentor families on American culture. I can trace my family’s Irish heritage to before 1739, the year my ancestor John Kennedy immigrated from Carrickfergus to the United States. Though my link to Ireland is more than two centuries old, it just goes to show that Irish roots run deep, and I’m honored to represent my family and the North Carolina Irish in this prestigious festival!