Marti Gobel is a nationally recognized actor, director and teaching artist. Upon graduating from UW-Whitewater in 2008 with a degree in Performance, Theatre and Philosophy (with an emphasis in Religious Studies), Ms. Gobel began a rich career in both theatre and television and film. Her need to add to the tapestry of the mid-west professional theatre scene led to the founding of the now defunct UPROOTED theatre. As Producing Artistic Director (from 2009-2015) she worked tirelessly to diversify the arts through her efforts. Ms. Gobel is a current member of both Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.   

Selected Stage Credits include: Milwaukee Shakespeare (Henry IV, part 2), Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (Well, Around The World In 80 Days, Broken and Entered, Fires In the Mirror) Renaissance Theaterworks’ (NEAT: Milwaukee, Sheboygan and South Africa, The Persians, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, The Violet Hour, Still, Sex With Strangers, The Roommate, and a reading of Tanya Saracho’s El Nogular and Gwendolyn Rice’s The Griots),  First Stage Children’s Theatre (The Neverendingstory and readings of Jackie and Me, The Promised Land), The Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Clybourne Park, A Christmas Carol:2012-2014, Yankee Tavern, Trouble In Mind), Forward Theater (In The Next Room, Mr. Burns, Skeleton Crew, Mom, How Did You Meet The Beatles) and UPROOTED theatre (Beauty’s Daughter: Milwaukee, Chicago and Memphis, A Streetcar Named Desire, Yellowman, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, *Pink Champagne, Jack and Jill, HooDoo Love, Oleanna, I Have Before Me A Remarkable Document Given To Me By A Young Lady From Rwanda, The Philadelphia Story, *Man From Madisonville, The Sunset Limited, Suddenly Last Summer), Next Act Theatre (Perfect Mendacity, No Child,  Twilight:Los Angles, The Taming, The Christians), and Theatre Lila (No Child). Marti plays an ongoing role as the Civil Rights suffragist, Ida B. Wells for the Kenosha Civil War Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is often featured in local and regional commercials and voice-overs. She appeared in the short film, Spare Change, as well as the web-series Gettin’ Grown; both directed by the award-winning film director Aaron Greer and Faith Flix’s Come Follow Me, Mary, Mother of Jesus and the feature film Game Day produced by Chicago Studio City.  National television credits include NBC’s Chicago PD in addition to several regional commercials.

Selected Professional Directing Credits include: National Project 1 Voice staged reading of Trouble In Mind, (Ten Chimneys Estate), A Soldier’s Story (Isitatha Theatre in South Africa) the staged reading of A Lesson Before Dying (Duncan Entertainment Group), and the world premiere productions of Reginald Edmund’s *South Bridge (The Broadway Theatre Center), Laura Lynn MacDonald’s* Through The Eyes Of Jim (Young Auditorium & Milton House Museum), and Caleen Sinnette Jennings’ *Hair, Nails & Dress (Tenth Street Theatre, Milwaukee) and *Freedom High, In The Red And Brown Water a collaboration with Marquette University and UPROOTED theatre. The Ballad Of Emmett Till, Native Gardens and Staged Reading of Philana Omorotionmwan’s Before Evening Comes (Renaissance Theaterworks). Exit Strategy (Forward Theatre) and The Brothers Size, Marcus: The Secret Of Sweet, Eeny Meeny Miny No (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre) and Blood At The Root, Principal, Principle, The Christians, Kill Move Paradise (Next Act Theatre).

University Productions include: Airness (Hendrix College), Wine In the Wilderness, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, The Light (Marquette University), Trojan Women (UW-Milwaukee).

Marti has served as a lead teacher at First Stage Theatre Academy in Milwaukee as well as a lead teacher and program designer for UPROOTED theatre’s education department.  She is currently an adjunct professor at Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee and Carthage College. She is a JF Kennedy Center trained Teaching Artist who worked closely with Master Educator, Randy Barron for 6 months developing her residency which is now offered through The Young Auditorium and The Overture Center. She currently serves as Artistc Consultant for Black Arts MKE. Ms. Gobel will serve for a third term as a KCACTF adjudicator for Region III.

She looks forward to her next project with A Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago as the director of Is God Is.

Above all, Ms Gobel knows that she must “Stand Up.  Take my people with me…” (Cynthia Erivo).

*Indicates World Premiere’s