Katherine Renee Shindle (born January 31, 1977) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and AIDS activist. From 2015 to 2024 she served as the President of the Actors' Equity Association. She was Miss America 1998 in 1998 and Miss Illinois in 1997.
Biography
Shindle was born in Toledo, Ohio, grew up in Brigantine, New Jersey and Moorestown, New JerseyMarcus, Joan. "Author Alison Bechdel and actor Katherine Shindle dish on the Tony winning musical Fun Home opening Tuesday in Philly", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7, 2017. Accessed November 29, 2017. "A critical and commercial hit when it opened in 2015 on Broadway, the show kicked off a national tour in October and stars former Miss America Katherine Shindle (Legally Blonde on Broadway, Cabaret national tour), who grew up in New Jersey, in Brigantine and Moorestown, and attended Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken." and attended high school at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School. She was a double major in sociology and theater (with a minor in musical theater) at Northwestern University. She has worked as an actress in New York since 1999. Shindle is also a licensed real estate agent.
Shindle appeared (as a replacement) in the Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde as understudy for the role of Lucy and several other roles. After being cast by co-directors Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall, she played the role of Sally Bowles in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret on the national tour in 2000–2001, and on Broadway during June–July 2001. She played this role again in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre (Jupiter, Florida) production, starting in January 2012, and was nominated for a 2013 Carbonell Award. In 2007-2008 she appeared in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde as Vivienne Kensington. She played the Mad Hatter in the Broadway production of Wonderland in 2011.
She appeared in a concert version of Jeykll & Hyde in September 2004 at the Mohegan Sun Casino's Cabaret Theatre in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing Lucy. She then toured in the United States with the concert version, starting in September 2005, and recorded the role on the Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection album.
In 2014, she wrote a memoir, Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain, published by the University of Texas Press.
In 2015, she defeated incumbent Nick Wyman for the presidency of the Actors' Equity Association, a position she held until 2024, when she declined to run for another term.
Filmography Film rolesYearTitleRoleNotes2004The Stepford WivesBeth Peters2004Seven Ten Split KateShort film2005CapoteRose2014Lucky StiffDominiqueAlso performerTelevision rolesYearTitleRoleNotes199777th Miss America PageantHerself / Miss IllinoisTV special1998The 78th Annual Miss America PageantHerself / Miss America 19981999TodayHerself / CorrespondentEpisode: "Episode dated 20 December 1999"2004As the World TurnsFlight AttendantEpisode: "Episode dated 23 August 2004"2005Chasing the CrownHerself / HostTelevision film2007Legally Blonde: The MusicalVivienne KensingtonTelevision film; also performer2008Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle WoodsHerselfEpisodes: "These Pink Boots Are Made for Walking", "A Star Is Born"2009White CollarFemale AnchorEpisode: "Flip of the Coin"2010Gossip GirlSamanthaEpisode: "Goodbye, Columbia"2011Last Cake StandingHerself / JudgeEpisode: "Cakes Got Talent"2014Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJulianneEpisode: "Reasonable Doubt"2019The Good FightRachelle Dax7 episodes2019ElementaryDanielle OliveraEpisode: "On the Scent"
Theater Broadway Jekyll & Hyde (1997) – A Young Girl; Bet; Bridesmaid; Housemaid; Nurse; Lucy u/s Cabaret (2001) – Sally Bowles Legally Blonde (2007) – Vivienne Kensington 8 (2011) – Court Clerk Wonderland (2011) – The Mad Hatter Dracula, the Musical (2011) – Mina
National Tour Cabaret (2000) – Sally Bowles Fun Home (2016) – Alison Bechdel
Regional Pippin (2004) - The Leading Player - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Concert Oliver! (2010) - Nancy Cabaret (2012) – Sally Bowles The Sting (2018) – Billie – Paper Mill Playhouse Cabaret (2019) – Sally BowlesKate Shindle AboutTheArtists
Publications Shindle, Kate. Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain, University of Texas Press, 2014. Shindle, Kate. "The Real Housewives of Miss America." Daily Beast, September 21, 2014. Shindle, Kate. "Running low on role models: Miss Nevada's out, Tara Conner's wobbly reign continues, and we're left wondering: What are beauty queens for, anyway?." Salon (website), December 26, 2006.
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