John Kissingford

John Kissingford studied with Shakespeare scholars at Princeton (BA '89), Harvard (Ed.M. '95), and the Bread Loaf School of English (MA '00) in Middlebury and Oxford before earning his MFA in acting in 2003. Since then he has acted with various regional and touring companies and explored Original Practice approaches to Shakespeare with both the New England Shakespeare Festival and No Holds Bard, which he and his wife Kate founded in 2005. They founded UpstART Theater in 2015, and have been instrumental in producing professional theater here in Ouray County, largely in partnership with The Friends of the Wright Opera House. Meanwhile, he taught high school English in various states and countries over the decades, culminating in ten years at Ouray High. John feels fortunate to serve on this and other philanthropic boards, and to participate in the life of this beautiful community.