Biography

Tom Key is an American Actor, Producer, Director, Playwright who served as Artistic Director of the acclaimed Theatrical Outfit in downtown Atlanta from 1995 to 2020, His drive to produce world class theatre that starts the conversations that matter developed the company into one of the city's major performing arts institutions. He has appeared in over a 100 productions from off-Broadway to Los Angeles including: Alliance Theatre (Art, Grapes of Wrath, Candide, Woody Guthrie's American Song, A Christmas Carol), The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (The Defiant Requiem), Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre and Arena Stage in Washington DC (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner), The Atlanta Opera (Out of Darkness: Two Remain, Abduction from the Seraglio), The Atlanta Ballet (Peter and the Wolf), The Atlanta Master Chorale (Music of the Civil War), and Theatrical Outfit (Big River Suzi Winner, The God Committee Suzi Winner Best Ensemble, Young Man From Atlanta Suzi Nominee, Red Suzi Nominee, Boy Suzi Nominee, Our Town, Buckminster Fuller: The Mystery and History of the Universe, Cotton Patch Gospel Suzi Nominee, Blood Knot with Kenny Leon, and The Book of Will Suzi Nominee Best Ensemble. Directing assignments at Theatrical Outfit include Horton Foote's The Chase and Dividing the Estate ArtsATL "Best Production 2013-2014 Season", Godspell Suzi Nominee, Memphis Suzi Nominee -- co-production with Aurora Theatre, Keeping Watch World Premiere by Thomas Ward, Best Production of the 2005-2006 Season Creative Loafing, Master Harold and the Boys "Message to Athol Fugard, Theatrical Outfit is representing you well in Atlanta" The Atlanta Journal and Constitution review, and Hank Williams Lost Highway. Since 1977 he has toured internationally the one-person show, C.S. Lewis On Stage, which he adapted from the writings of the author of The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia. It has been performed at the John F. Kennedy Center, Harvard, Yale, and Oxford University and in 2008-2009 was produced by Provision Theatre of Chicago with Bradley Armacost in the leading role. He has also adapted John Bunyan's English classic, The Pilgrim's Progress for the stage and it was published in 2009 by Dramatic Publishing Company. For Theatrical Outfit, Key has adapted two Walker Percy books, The National Book Award Winning Novel, The Moviegoer 2001, "A comic gem" The Atlanta Journal and Constitution review; and Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Seminar "An hilarious tour de force" The Atlanta Journal and Constitution review. In 2004, Key wrote and performed under the direction of Susan V. Booth, a monologue for the world premiere of Leap, at The Alliance Theater. "Riveting" Atlanta Journal and Constitution review. He is celebrated nationally for creating, starring in, and co-authoring with Russell Treyz and the late Harry Chapin the off-Broadway musical hit, Cotton Patch Gospel. Outstanding productions in which he starred include Lamb's Theatre Off-Broadway, The Westwood Playhouse of Los Angeles where he was nominated for Best Actor by the L.A. Drama Critic's Circle and won his second Dramalogue Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Theater, The Dallas Theatre Center, and multiple productions at The Alliance Theatre and Theatrical Outfit. Film and television credits include the Jon Stewart film, Irresistible, Bluff City Law NBC, Doom Patrol HBO, Sistas BET,The Adventures of Ociee Nash Amazon, Gordy Miramax, and the upcoming Monarch FOX. Key has received The Governor's Award in the Humanities for contributing to the quality of life of Georgians; the Georgia Arts and Entertainment Legacy Award, and three Mayoral proclamations for his service to the City of Atlanta. Creative Loafing describes Tom Key as: "An actor with such energy that even standing still, he seems to quiver like a divining rod."
- IMDb mini biography by: Tom Key