Spotlight On: Kate Moore Heaney – Championing New Work and Collaboration in Theatre
Tuesday March 25 2025
Meet Kate Moore Heaney, Associate Producer at Long Wharf Theatre
At Long Wharf Theatre, new work doesn’t just happen—it’s nurtured, developed, and championed by dedicated artists like Associate Producer Kate Moore Heaney. With a passion for bringing new plays to life, Kate is a driving force behind the stories and voices that define our theatre’s future. From her earliest experiences backstage to her work on groundbreaking new productions, she embodies the collaborative spirit that makes theatre thrive. In this edition of Spotlight On, we sit down with Kate for a rapid-fire Q&A to learn more about her inspirations, favorite theatre moments, and what’s next on the horizon.
1. Describe what you do in five words or less.
I produce, develop, and direct plays!
2. What was the first theatre production you ever saw?
Beauty and the Beast
3. What’s a show are you currently binge watching?
I just finished watching Severance.
4. Who is top of your playlist right now?
Olivia Dean
5. What’s your most memorable theatre experience—onstage, backstage, or in the audience?
Watching fellow students perform from backstage for the very first time as a young dance student. Shout out to the Center for Modern Dance Education in Hackensack, NJ, where I first fell in love with the performing arts.
6. If you could work on any production, past or present, what would it be and why?
It would be a production of a new play that doesn’t yet exist or is in the process of being written.
7. What’s the best piece of theatre advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t be afraid.
8. Favorite theatre snack: classic intermission candy or something unexpected?
Peanut M&Ms
9. If you had to sum up theatre in one word, what would it be?
Worldbuilding
10. Dream dinner party: You + three theatre legends (living or not). Who’s at the table?
Deb Margolin, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Mona Mansour
11. What’s a hidden talent or hobby people might not know you have?
I like to run (very slowly).
12. Rapid Fire Round!
Play or musical? - Play!
Stage or screen? - Stage!
Overture or finale? - Overture!
Opening night or closing night? - Opening Night!
13. Fill in the blank: Theatre would be nothing without ______.
Collaboration
14. Any upcoming projects or performances you’re excited about?
I’m so excited for the upcoming world premiere of Terrence Riggins’ play Unbecoming Tragedy produced by Long Wharf Theatre, in partnership with Collective Consciousness Theatre. This production has been years in the making, and I’m thrilled for audiences to experience Terrence’s beautiful writing and the vision of director Cheyenne Barboza and the entire creative team.
15. Where can people find you or follow your work?