Shelley Cooper is an Off-Broadway Award Winning Solo Actor/Playwright, a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at Augustana College. Shelley is no stranger to the Mahidol University Community. She was a Musical Theatre Professor at Mahidol from 2013-2015. Teaching at Mahidol University was easily one of the best decisions she could have ever made with her life!
Cooper has performed and directed all over the world for a number of companies in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, China, Thailand, Austria, Germany, and Bulgaria. Shelley is a very active musical theatre/opera performer and Director. Most noted performances are “Dolly” in Hello Dolly, “Johanna” in Sweeney Todd starring Tony-Award- winning actress Faith Prince; “Nellie” in South Pacific,
“Cinderella” in Into the Woods, “Ariel” in The Little Mermaid, and “Musetta” in La Boheme. Most noted Directing include Ride the Cyclone, Beehive, The Threepenny Opera, Company, and The Drowsy Chaperone. Her one woman show, La Divina: The Last Interview of Maria Callas won Hollywood Fringe (Pick of the Fringe), Orlando Fringe (Best Individual Performance in a Drama), Off-Broadway at United Solofest on Theatre Row. (Best One Woman Show) and nominated for Best Solo Show at Hollywood Fringe Festival. Her other work Jenny Lind Presents P.T. Barnum won an LA Women’s Theatre Award, Hollywood fringe (Best of Venue) and Off-Broadway at United Solofest on Theatre Row (Best Biographical Show). Her newest one woman show Rag Doll on a Bomb Site: The Lotte Lenya Story premiered at the Goethe Institute in Bangkok on February 1 and made its United States debut at the Hollywood Fringe Festival to critical acclaim.
