corey bradberry is a Chicago-based theatre director and experiential storyteller known for immersive, genre-forward productions that combine theatrical precision with inventive audience engagement. His work spans contemporary drama, noir-inspired mystery, sensory-based performance, and interactive theatrical experiences designed to place audiences inside the world of the story.
Drawing from a multidisciplinary background in directing, producing, performance, and playwriting, Corey creates productions that balance ambitious theatrical mechanics with emotionally grounded storytelling. His directing work emphasizes clarity, momentum, and actor-centered collaboration — building experiences that are both imaginative and accessible to audiences.
Corey has directed and developed productions across Chicago and Atlanta, including immersive and award-winning work with Oil Lamp Theater, the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, and a variety of independent and collaborative theatrical projects. His productions frequently explore audience perspective, environmental storytelling, and the tension between realism and theatricality, often through mystery, suspense, and heightened genre frameworks.
In addition to traditional stage work, Corey has created and collaborated on interactive and sensory-driven productions that incorporate movement, sound, immersive design, and unconventional audience relationships. Whether directing an intimate character piece or a large-scale immersive event, he is particularly interested in theatrical experiences that invite audiences into active emotional and imaginative participation.
As a collaborator, Corey is known for fostering rehearsal rooms grounded in curiosity, precision, adaptability, and ensemble-driven storytelling. His work seeks to make ambitious ideas feel clear, immediate, and deeply human.
When not making theatre, Corey can usually be found exploring bookstores, hiking trails, or chasing new adventures with his family.
Associate Member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC)
Education
Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Theatre Directing -- University of Southern Mississippi
Bachelor of Arts, Theatre & Performance Studies -- Kennesaw State University
Additional Training
Second City Advanced Directing Program (Chicago), Kennedy Center National Directing Fellowship, Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Alliance Theatre.
Setting up the shot with Director of Photography Blake Studwell (Right) on short film Honor the Governor’s Honor
Yup, that’s me on the table, lying on a bed of glass, having a cinder block smashed on my stomach by a sledgehammer.
“Still Waitin’ on That Train”: singing the blues as “Johnny Rash” at The Annoyance
”Women and children first”: the last surviving husband aboard the Titanic, in a sketch by Kim Florian (standing).