PHOTO: Hank with his golden retriever, Panda

LEADERSHIP

“Hank Kimmel is a true leader in the Atlanta Theatre community. As a board member of Working Title Playwrights he has tirelessly helped this organization’s leadership grow from serving playwrights to serving the Atlanta theatre community by helping playwrights become producible writers with collaborative chops and rigorous work. Hank goes to everything, often taking groups of new theatre goers with him. He is one of the reasons the Atlanta community keeps growing in national prominence, as well as being one of the reasons the Atlanta theatre community is a warm generous home for artists.” —Celise Kalke, Managing Director, Synchronicity Theatre, Atlanta

“Hank Kimmel, as President of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre Board, truly dedicates himself to the quality and organizational aspects of the AJT. Whenever an important discussion on content and strategic thinking is needed, he not only applies himself but engages others in the process. His unique ability to use humor and seriousness is a real asset. I am honored to be working with him. —David Y. Chack , Executive Director of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre

PLAYWRITING

“Working with Hank is like watching a master weaver make a tapestry. He crafts characters from fragile and durable threads then intricately weaves them together. If something isn’t quite right, he’ll unravel it and try something different. He has incredible patience, and it pays off.” —Daphne Mintz, Dramaturg, Confessions of A Hit Man, 2017-18 Reiser Lab recipient

“Playwright Hank Kimmel is an uptown wit with a down home wisdom. And so, too, are the characters he writes with both tenderness and honesty as they navigate the treacherous fields of law, pro football, boarding school, and after-hours politics. His plays have warmth and consequences and a whole lot of side-slipping…yeah, all the good stuff.” —Pamela Turner Artistic Director, multiShades.atlanta, Regional Rep, Dramatists Guild of America

“Hank Kimmel is a playwright with a gift for character and collaboration. His work is funny and dramatic in turns, always displaying Hank’s ability to observe relationships and his flair for dialogue.”  —Celise Kalke, Synchronicity

“I had the opportunity to perform Pete Wheatstraw in Early Morning Appointment with CPF Radio Hour last evening. It was great fun with all the back and forth, anticipating and subdued humor. It was laugh-filled voyage. My co-performaer and I had a hard time keeping our own laughter under wraps during our rehearsals!.”
— Richard A. Haydon, actor, North Carolina

COLLABORATION

“I had the pleasure of developing a World Premiere play entitled Hank Kimmel’s Shorts with Hank back when I was Artistic Director of Jewish Theatre of the South in Atlanta. I had read a number of Hank’s short plays, and had featured several of them in our theater’s “A Jewish Theatrical Buffet” play reading series. Through those readings, I realized that compiling an evening of Hank’s short works would make for a thoroughly enjoyable evening of theater. During a year-long process, Hank and I collaborated on selecting which pieces would be part of the whole. Together, we developed a structure for the piece which balanced the very humorous with the more sublime, and physical comedy with cerebral wit, giving the overall play variety in mood and tone, as well as a satisfying overall arc. Throughout the process, Hank was a fantastic collaborator, willing to edit, add, subtract, enhance or scale down, based on circumstances such as length, cast size and diversity, and appropriateness for our target audience. He was open to requests and suggestions from the director (me), making changes, and even several cuts and substitutions, right through previews into Opening Night.”  —Mira Hirsch, theatre director

“I worked with Hank Kimmel on a devised work at the Atlanta Jewish Academy. He wrote specific scenes and monologues for 8 high school Jewish students. They were amazing! Hank is a master of text and worked wonderfully with the students creating thoughtful but hilarious characters.” —Joel Coady, Production Manager, Serenbe Playhouse

“I absolutely enjoy working with Hank. As an actor, I want to work on scripts that not only have interesting and dynamic characters, but also have solid and timely themes. Hank’s scripts do both. Also, he’s the very essence of what a collaborator should be. He’s open, honest, and willing to bend or change, yet unyielding and resilient enough to know when not to. He keeps the integrity of the play/script intact while seamlessly adjusting and adapting to new circumstances that may present themselves. Definitely a pleasure to work with due to his sense of humor and genuine camaraderie. Hank has made me a better actor, collaborator, and overall person by working with him.  Looking forward to a lifelong friendship of working and playing together.” — Anthony S. Goolsby, Actor, WTP’s Acting Ensemble

DRAMATURGY

“I’m very new to the craft of play writing, and the critique I received from WTP, and specifically Hank Kimmel, literally brought tears of joy to my eyes. It was compassionate, intelligent and extremely helpful as I trudge into re-writes. Thank you Hank for your personal support of my humble beginnings as a playwright. Your motivation and inspiration during my quest for excellence has been invaluable!” —Sandra Hodge-Hampton, Playwright – Daddy’s Maybe — Performed at 2017 Atlanta Black Arts Festival, writer/director/producer www.gloryvisionworks.com   sdhh@gloryvisionworks.com

“I sent Hank Kimmel the draft of Festival of Lights—my musical on Hanukah—potentially a tricky topic. He helped me clarify the theme and bring out different aspects of it.  His insights helped me endow each character with a distinct personality and define the overall story arc. The play was definitely stronger for his guidance.  Hank’s vital contribution to my script played no small part in having the play successfully produced by several Washington DC area synagogues.” —Art Levine, Washington DC playwright.

COMMISSION

“Creating an original theater script with Hank Kimmel is an exceptional collaborative and rewarding experience. I asked Hank, twice, to write a children’s theater piece for my Performance Ensemble at Woodward Academy. With a concept and time table set, he met with the students, and wrote a play just for them. We would read and play with drafts while it was in development and Hank took the notes and suggestions from me and students (as well as his own acute observations). When we performed the finalized version our audiences were as entertained and thrilled as I had hoped and my students very proud.” —Bob Putnam

“For my continuing education seminar in 2017, I decided to add a little spark to our agenda. I employed the Hank Kimmel Players to present a 10-minute play emphasizing the need to carefully consider the future ramifications of an agreement reached in mediation. Hank wrote the play, and it was brilliantly performed. The play was used as a springboard for discussion. Our trainees analyzed the characters’ actions, motives, and decision making skills, and discussed how the mediated agreement could have been written in anticipation of some of the problems. The course evaluations reflected that the play was one of the highlights of the seminar. This was an extremely important element of our overall course agenda. I will definitely call on Hank to improvise creative “out of the box” material for my future events.” —Jerry Wood, Director Fulton County Courts Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

TEACHING

“If the chance arises to have Hank teach playwriting, seize it! Let the firstlings of your heart, be the firstlings of your hand! For 8 years, for one week in April,  Hank taught playwriting to students of mine, and what a week it was! Hank puts young people at ease, with gentle humor and a deliberate way of learning their names on the spot. His exercises and improvs loosen everyone up; the tootsie roll pops help also. He supervises the various skits with grace and humor and insights, creating an atmosphere conducive to unshackling the muse, and taking risks. All sense a safe, comfortable, fun environment.   By the end of the week, groups have written and then perform short plays, a highlight for everyone.  Hank makes himself available for follow-ups by email.  And never ONCE does he talk about himself, the plays he has written, his process of creating, awards won. It is NEVER about him; it is ALWAYS about the art and about the artists, in this case, the students.” —Geoff Marchant, The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville,CT