Mary Catherine Burke, a Connecticut native, is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She joins CFRT after nearly 20 years of experience as a Director, Dramaturge, Assistant Director, and Artistic Director. She got her start as an Assistant Director to film legend Arthur Penn (director of “Bonnie & Clyde” and “The Miracle Worker”) working on the two-time TONY-Award-winning Broadway production of Fortune’s Fool. She also assistant directed for Jonathan Lynn (“My Cousin Vinny”, “Clue”, and “The Whole Nine Yards”) on the off-Broadway production of A Mother. A Daughter. And A Gun. starring Olympia Dukakis.

She came to CFRT from Dede Harris Productions, an 11-time, TONY Award-winning commercial producing office. She served as the Director of Programming for the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), the largest musical theatre festival in the United States. Burke spearheaded the effort to create autism friendly performances for the children’s series at NYMF, and raised foundation funding to underwrite these performances.  Her tenure oversaw the most shows that went on to subsequent production or commercial licensing. 

As a director she has worked commercially including Nick Jr. Live’s Move to the Music, a national tour of nine of your favorite Nickelodeon brands, which is toured across the country in 2020.  At Regional Theatres such as The REV, Amphibian Stage Productions, Mile Square Theatre and The Goodspeed Opera House, and in NYC at The New York Musical Theatre Festival, The Flea Theatre, Loft 227, Studio TISCH, ARS NOVA, EST, Theatre for a New City, Vital Theatre Company, she loves to work on style hybrids and the development of new plays and musicals. Her work has been hailed as “the next off-Broadway hit” by the NY Times, “extraordinary” by The NJ Star Ledger and “Incisive” by the Dallas Morning News.

She is passionate about theatres reflecting the community they serve.  She is a #proudstagemom to Rolo, her 6-pound Morkie who has now graced the CFRT stage in three productions.