Blackout Theatre names Caroline Graham as its new artistic director

Sep. 16—Blackout Theatre, Albuquerque's edgy troupe known for its satiric videos and haunted houses, has elected Caroline Graham as its new artistic director.

A theater generalist who has been with Blackout since 2018, Graham came to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico in 2011. Graham then earned a Master of Fine Arts in dramatic writing and almost immediately began working with the troupe.

"Blackout is this really wonderful mix of very laid-back energy and really challenging theater making," Graham said. "Blackout has this incredible legacy of really bold, original work that reflects where we live. Blackout's roots are in improv and sketch comedy and the musicals and podcasts and TikTok. There's no genre or medium Blackout isn't invested in exploring."

Graham grew up in the Bay Area amid a family of doctors and engineers. The lure of the theater began in elementary school. Graham attended after-school drama, then turned to technical theater in high school.

"There's the cliché answer of being able to step into somebody's shoes," Graham said. "I really relished the challenge of it."

Graham originally came to Blackout as a playwright.

"Everything in my head feels like a conversation," Graham said. "I really enjoy playwriting as a medium because it is so inherently collaborative. You're working with the knowledge that other people are going to be taking care of this idea.

"The script isn't the end of it," Graham continued. "Actors will do things you didn't expect. There's something really beautiful about that. You write the script, you raise the kid and you send it off to kindergarten."

Graham has worked with numerous theaters in the Albuquerque area, including Duke City Repertory, Fusion, Vortex and the New Mexico Shakespeare Festival. Graham also was a writer and actor on the award-winning web series "Thank You, 5."

"Caroline is a much loved and revered member of the Albuquerque theater community," said outgoing Blackout Theatre artistic director Leonard Madrid. "(Graham's) creative vision and sensitivity will lead our company into the next era of theater."

Blackout Theatre was founded in 2007 with a goal to support regional stories and creators. The upcoming season will include a world premiere, the development and readings of new works, an original sketch show and installments of the comedy education series "Nite School," a disability-focused podcast "Talk a Mile in Our Shoes" and a multimedia art installation "Big Doors NM."