Rachel Lampert served as the Artistic Director from 1997 to 2017 and returned to lead the theater for the 2023-24 Season. During her tenure, she focused on expanding the repertory to include new plays, alternative theatrical formats, solo performances, movement-based work, and original musicals.

A strong advocate for young theater artists, she gave first-time directing opportunities to many young directors, primarily women, who continue to make theater nationwide. She championed playwrights by producing early-career writers on the KTC Mainstage. She broadened the audience's experience by inaugurating and producing the Kitchen Counter Culture series 2005-2010, devoted to BIPOC solo performers.

Her solo play The Soup Comes Last has been performed in NYC, and her original musical Precious Nonsense has had several productions. With composer Larry Pressgrove, she has written the book and lyrics for Tony & the Soprano, Bed No Breakfast, Comfort Food, and The Angle of the Sun. In 2018, after stepping down from her position as Artistic Director, she received the SALT Lifetime Achievement Award.

In Ithaca, she has choreographed and directed at the Hangar Theatre, choreographed for Ensemble X and the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, and written and produced events for various not-for-profits. She served on the Board of INHS.

"I am grateful to the Ithaca and Tompkins County communities for their long-time encouragement and support in helping the Kitchen Theatre Company sustain itself and grow."

Email: rachel@kitchentheatre.org