Taking over for longtime artistic director Mr. William P. Bradford II might have seemed like a tremendous challenge, but for Ms. Kate E. Reedy, it has been a smooth transition.

“It was a natural flow” said Reedy, who took over as Trinity’s Department of Theatre Arts producer, artistic director, and choreographer in the fall of 2017.

Reedy said she never intended to become a teacher. She said, “From day one, I said I’m never going to be a teacher because both my parents are teachers — and here I am.”

Reedy’s involvement with Trinity theatre began in her high school days.  Her first Trinity show was when she was a student in 2004. The show they performed that year was “Carousel.”

Reedy said, “That was actually one of the shows that (teaching colleagues) Mr. (Wes) Thomas, Mr. (Brian) Bowles and I all did together.”

Because Reedy had the opportunity to perform at Trinity, she has a deep respect for the brotherhood and family at the school. When she chose to teach, direct, and choreograph for Trinity, she did so because “Trinity is home. It’s just the right place for me to be.”

Bowles has nothing but high praise for Reedy, whose two shows in 2017-18 were “The Complete Works of Shakespeare — Abridged” and “Rock of Ages — High School Edition.”

“She’s absolutely amazing,” said Bowles, who is a professional actor as well as teacher. Bowles knows about theater and the challenges that Reedy faces in teaching her actors.

He said, “Being able to create and expand upon a character while acting is a very difficult process, but it’s also very rewarding and fun.”

Making stories real for an audience is one of the many challenges a director faces. “You have to make something fake become real,” Bowles said.

Despite the pandemic, Reedy has everything under control. She was able to put on two shows last spring while following health protocols.

“We had several meetings with the CDC and Louisville Metro Health Department,” Reedy said, “and they approved of what we did last year.”

The students agree that Reedy is doing everything possible to make the theatre a safe environment for everyone — actors and audience members alike. Some of the protocols that were used last year for theater are still being used.

Reedy said, “We have a single entrance and single exit. We have QR codes for people to sign in to see when they come in and exit the building. Everyone’s wearing masks; we have assigned seats for contact tracing.”

Theatre veteran senior Carson Mehlbauer praised Reedy’s handling of a tough situation. Mehlbauer is one of the leads in the current show, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

He plays Dr. Henry Jekyll, a person who is very into potions and “magic.”

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a classic gothic story written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. The show touches on subjects such as split personalities and good versus evil.

Mehlbauer said, “I feel like this version is very different from how he is normally portrayed, but it’s still Henry Jekyll from the original.”

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” will be performed Oct. 27  through Nov. 7. Soon audiences will again be able to enjoy the work of Ms. Kate E. Reedy and her students.