Lauren Diesch
Theatre Artist

Lauren Diesch is a director, actor, educator, and arts administrator originally from Pittsburgh. She currently serves as the Artistic Director of Youth Performance Company (YPC) in the Twin Cities, where she leads the organization’s artistic programming and advances its mission to empower youth and inspire social change through bold theatre.

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Before joining YPC, Lauren served as Director of Education at Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre Company, overseeing theatre education programs for young people ranging from in-school residencies to classes, camps, internships, and the company’s Teen Arden musical. She previously spent ten years with CLIMB Theatre in the Twin Cities, beginning as an actor and teaching artist before becoming Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director. At CLIMB, she developed and supervised arts-integrated curriculum and directed touring productions that used theatre to create positive community change.

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As a director, Lauren is drawn to work that combines accessible wonderment, bold theatricality, and genuine human connection. She is particularly drawn to new and devised work. While living in the Twin Cities, she worked with Park Square Theatre, Theatre Coup d’Etat, Gadfly Theatre, Theatre in the Round, Open Window Theatre, Chameleon Theatre Circle, Umbrella Collective, and Theatre Unbound. She also performed internationally in Augsburg, Germany, as part of Yinzerspielen, a bilingual production.

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Lauren earned her B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Pittsburgh and her M.F.A. in Directing from Indiana University. She is an Associate Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

 

When she is not making theatre, Lauren can usually be found cheering on the Steelers and Pacers, cooking, hiking, or belting out Celine Dion at karaoke.