Since arriving on Bainbridge in 1982, Kate Carruthers worked as an attorney and then as a municipal court judge, as well as serving as trustee on many different boards. Yet her imagination was captured most fully by her participation in the theatrical arts. Almost immediately after she moved to the Island she discovered its lively theatre scene and began to participate in its productions, first as an actor, then as a director. And it is for that work — her recognized skills and accomplishments as an outstanding theatre director — that she was named an Island Treasure.
Kate began her directing career for Island Theatre — of which she was a founding member — and later for Bainbridge Performing Arts. Altogether she has now directed over 35 plays for BPA and Island Theatre, including Amadeus for which she received the Best Director Award from BroadwayWorld Seattle. One of her most notable and ambitious productions was The Kentucky Cycle, a nine-part play following three families in eastern Kentucky over a span of 200 years. Her productions are known for the ways in which they challenge the audiences’ thinking and sensibilities. She selects works that encourage community outreach and discussion. She also has received much praise from the actors she has worked with, some describing her directing as “absolutely visionary,” and calling attention to her “amazing attention to detail.”
Kate’s peers unanimously agree she is an extraordinary director, notable for seeking out meaningful and challenging work, for clarity of vision, for openness to the ideas of others, for attention to detail — and for her dedication to the emotional truth of the story being told. “Her directorial skills have raised the bar for all the rest of us,” said one person. “But that’s a good thing, right?”
Listen to Bainbridge Community Broadcasting’s interview with Kate Carruthers: