Cathleen O’Malley (she/her) is producer, administrator, and performing artist based in Washington, DC.

A native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Cathleen recently returned to the DMV after over a decade in key management roles at professional nonprofit arts institutions such as Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama, Touchstone Theatre, and the BorderLight Festival, the latter of which she helped launch in 2019 and is now entering its 6th season.

A resourceful and natural collaborator, Cathleen is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections between artists and audiences through innovative engagement programs, cross-sector partnerships, and live cultural events that ignite audiences and advance the role of the arts in public life.

Cathleen trained in Lecoq-based physical theatre at the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) and holds an MFA from Naropa University. Before becoming a theatre artist, Cathleen studied psychology and women's studies at the University of Pittsburgh, where she explored the social and therapeutic applications of the arts, including Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, street performance, site-specific installation, and Playback Theatre—an improvised ensemble-based storytelling form. These early influences are still at the heart of Cathleen's collaborative work.

Cathleen has co-created original theatre regionally and abroad, including performances in England, Hungary, Denmark, Jordan, Seattle (WA) and across the American Rust Belt. Favorite scripted roles include Maria/Itchy in the Midwest Premiere of MR. BURNS - A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY (Cleveland Public Theatre), Claire in BOSTON MARRIAGE (Mamai Theatre), and her original solo work about contemporary motherhood, MILKDRUNK, which premiered Off-Broadway at the 10th annual United Solo Festival in NYC and is now available on the National New Play Network’s New Play Exchange (NPX).

Cathleen currently works on the artistic programming team of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she produces the year-round comedy season, along with jazz, classical new music, and multidisciplinary programs at the intersection of arts and wellbeing.

Photograph by Ian Bannon / Celebration Barn