2009 POINT SCHOLARS

Maggie Keenan-Bolger

Dr. Joan Shelley W. Fernandez Point Scholar

City University of New York

Applied Theatre

Maggie was born and raised in inner-city Detroit. She gained a unique perspective on racial and economic discrimination early in life, as one of a few white students attending predominantly black schools and living in predominantly black neighborhoods. At age 14 Maggie came out as the only openly LGBT-identified individual in her 800-person high school. The religious upbringing of the majority of her classmates lead to conflict and rejection on both an individual and school-wide level, as she was forced to attend anti-homosexuality lectures which resulted in personal opposition to her identity and beliefs.

Maggie was just 17 when her mom passed away from breast cancer. She not only lost a crucial member of her family, but an ally.

Maggie attended Oberlin College for her undergraduate work and found a passion in combining her majors of Theatre and Gender and Women’s Studies. While there, she wrote, produced and performed in a semi-autobiographical play, From the Inside, Out, based on real-life experiences.

Currently, Maggie is using theatre to facilitate, activate and educate in her Applied Theatre Program at CUNY. In addition to touring with From the Inside, Out performing at various high schools and colleges, she also runs her own theatre company, 4th Meal Productions, and works with under-privileged youth, using theatre as a teaching tool. She hopes to eventually start her own LGBT Youth Theatre where members can devise theatre pieces based on their life experiences and interests, giving an often-silenced community a voice and a venue for expression.