Katherine Renee Shindle (born January 31, 1977) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

activist. From 2015 to 2024 she served as the President of the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions w ...

. She was Miss America 1998 in 1998 and Miss Illinois in 1997.

Biography

Shindle was born in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, grew up in Brigantine, New Jersey and

Moorestown, New Jersey Moorestown is a Township (New Jersey), township in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia and geographically part of the South Jersey region of the state. As of ...

and attended high school at

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational, private Secondary education in the United States, high school in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the C ...

. She was a double major in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

(with a minor in

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, moveme ...

) at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. 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 Jupiter is the northernmost town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. According to the 2020 US Census, the town had a population of 61,047. It is 84 miles north of Miami and 15 miles north of West Palm Beach, Florida, West Palm Beach. ...

) 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 Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, 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 Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain,'' published by the

University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...

. In 2015, she defeated incumbent Nick Wyman for the presidency of the

, a position she held until 2024, when she declined to run for another term.

Filmography

Theater

Broadway

* '' Jekyll & Hyde'' (1997) – A Young Girl; Bet; Bridesmaid; Housemaid; Nurse; Lucy u/s * ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' (2001) – Sally Bowles * '' Legally Blonde'' (2007) – Vivienne Kensington * '' 8'' (2011) – Court Clerk * '' Wonderland'' (2011) – The Mad Hatter * ''

Dracula, the Musical ''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla ...

'' (2011) – Mina

National Tour

* ''

'' (2000) – Sally Bowles * '' Fun Home'' (2016) – Alison Bechdel

Regional

* ''Pippin'' (2004) - The Leading Player - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Concert * ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'' (2010) - Nancy * ''

'' (2012) – Sally Bowles * ''The Sting'' (2018) – Billie – Paper Mill Playhouse * ''

'' (2019) – Sally BowlesKate Shindle AboutTheArtists
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Publications

*Shindle, Kate. ''Being

: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain,''

, 2014. *Shindle, Kate.
The Real Housewives of Miss America
"

Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

, 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) ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive and liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, includ ...

, December 26, 2006.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shindle, Katherine 1977 births Living people American musical theatre actresses Bishop Eustace Preparatory School alumni Miss America winners Miss America 1998 delegates Miss America Preliminary Talent winners Northwestern University School of Communication alumni Actresses from Toledo, Ohio Actresses from New Jersey 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses People from Brigantine, New Jersey People from Moorestown, New Jersey 21st-century American memoirists American film actresses American stage actresses American women memoirists American HIV/AIDS activists 21st-century American women writers Presidents of the Actors' Equity Association Actors from Atlantic County, New Jersey Actors from Burlington County, New Jersey Writers from Atlantic County, New Jersey Writers from Burlington County, New Jersey