Arts & Pride Month conversation series: Kendra Malm
Originally published on The JOLT News on July 1, 2026
I hope you all had a fabulous Pride weekend! I loved seeing you all out there shining with love and joy! I especially applaud the Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s performance (read my review here).
Artistic director of the Olympia Little Theatre (OLT), playwright, director, actress and occasional tech team member Kendra Malm is a very active member of our arts community
Finding theatre when she was a student at Olympia High School, Malm shared how “it was a good place for a shy, bookish kid like myself to be able to express themselves.”
Malm got more heavily involved in theatre when she moved back to Olympia from graduate school in Indiana, where she transitioned from male to female 25 years ago.
Looking for things to get involved in, Malm auditioned for the Olympia Little Theatre. She didn’t get an acting role at that point, but they asked if Malm wanted to help with tech, and she did. That got the ball rolling and Malm has been with the Olympia Little Theatre since 2007.
“The theater has always been a very welcoming place for LGBTQ+ folks and for anyone who just doesn’t fit the mainstream. That is one thing I emphasize and want to push as OLT artistic director is that we welcome everyone," she said.
OLT’s new season is going to be fabulous, especially with an extra special contribution from Malm. Stay tuned to this column this summer to learn more.
Malm is very kind, down to earth, intelligent and intentional about everything she says and does. She has insight that I believe is valuable and important for all of us to hear. Enjoy our conversation.
The conversation
Benton: If you had a megaphone where you could share a message about Pride and artistry with everyone, what would you say?
Malm: “I want my art to do the talking. I wrote a play for OLT called 'Life is Complicated,' which is about a middle-aged trans woman who gets involved with a younger man. Complications ensue (because she has not told him that she’s trans), and it’s about her wanting to be accepted for who she is, not because of or in spite of her being trans. We did a one weekend stage reading of it, and I’d gotten some interest in theaters doing this play, but COVID knocked all the plans I had for it out the window.
“A few years back, we finally did a full length, updated version of it and I was very happy because we actually had a trans actress play the lead, which is very important for representation. (read the full script here)."
Benton: Is there something allies in this community can do to extend support to the LGBTQ+ community?
Malm: “Being an ally starts with looking at your own behavior, prejudices, and assumptions, asking yourself, 'What are some of the things that are just in my cultural background that might be preventing me from becoming a full ally?' Listen to us and our stories and not make your allyship front and center because if you want to be supportive, you must be OK being behind us, not in front of us.”
Benton: What advice would you give to a young artist, who may not be out of the closet yet?
Malm: “Concentrate on your art, and I think that will give you the confidence to come out and to be yourself. If you are in a strong place, that gives you the foundation to really be who you are.”
Benton: Is there anything else you would like to share with myself or JOLT readers?
Malm: “I’m an introvert, haven’t been an activist. …I’ve just been kind of living my life, doing what I wanted, and just being myself. Now it feels important to me to step out a little bit because the whole environment of our society and government is making it a challenge for me just to live and to be.
“Stepping out is kind of a challenge for me because I’ve been comfortable. If I’m not out there, I’m not going to get attacked or have to put myself out there, which is why I really wanted to do this interview.
“It’s important for me to share, especially with younger people who might be going through this, that they are not alone. There are people who have done this before and have gone through a lot worse than what is going on right now, even though the present administration wants to make it the very worst that it has ever been. We’ve been through this before, and we can get through this. If not, well, there’s always Canada!”
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/arts-pride-month-conversation-series-kendra-malm-,29705