Melanie Keller is an award-winning actor, director, & coach based in Chicago, IL.

BIOGRAPHY

Melanie Keller's extensive experience performing in classical and contemporary theatre roles has now expanded to include network television, commercial and film appearances. She is also a critically acclaimed theatre director, as well as a sought-after acting coach.

She stars in the independent short, UberEx, directed by Karisa Bruin, which had its premiere at the Dances with Films Festival at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in LA. And she recently shot the feature film Curse of the Sin Eater which is currently in post-production.

Television credits include roles on Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago PD (NBC). She has been seen in commercials for Lowes, Boston Market, US Bank, Liberty Mutual, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kmart, Church’s Chicken and Goose Island.

A proud Chicago native, Melanie loves her urban family of artists. She’s spent some time away from Chicago over the years but is always happy to return home. Chicago acting credits include productions at Northlight Theatre and the Goodman Theatre. She was the Associate Artistic Director of First Folio Theatre until the theatre closed in 2023 after more than 27 years. With Signal Ensemble Theatre, one of her other artistic homes, she won a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actress her performance in East of Berlin and The Russian Play, and was nominated for a Jeff Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The Weir. Regionally, she has worked at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival (Wilde Award nomination), Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre and Peninsula Players, among others.

As a director, her productions of The Drowning Girls, Silent Sky were nominated for Jeff Awards, while Mary’s Wedding, All Childish Things and Little Women all received Jeff recommendations.

Melanie developed a love for Shakespeare early on and had the distinction of being selected as the only American to train at the Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre Training in 2007-2008 at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada. As a member of the Acting Company, she appeared in Romeo & Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Des McAnuff’s production of Caesar and Cleopatra, starring Christopher Plummer. Melanie also trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

When she’s not acting, Melanie keeps busy running her own business and traveling—sometimes for work and sometimes, just because she loves it.

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