Acting career Kemp was in the original cast of
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which began at the
off-Broadway The Actors Studio before moving to Broadway, where it became a long-running hit. After the performance, Williams gave her the part, and she worked closely with him in developing the role. She made her television debut in the series
Love of Life in 1973.
Directing As a stage director, Kemp was responsible for many productions at The Actors Studio, including
The Glass Menagerie,
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and the world premiere of Edward Allan Baker's
Free Gift Inside. Internationally, Kemp directed
The Stronger and Homesick at
Strindberg's Intimate Theater in
Stockholm, and
Dreamstories at The Claude LeLouch Theatre Cine 13 in
Paris and La Spazia Teatro in
Rome.
Teaching Kemp left Los Angeles and returned to New York City, where she worked odd jobs, including waiting tables at a restaurant.— of
The Actors Studio Drama School at
Pace University. At the Actors Studio Drama School, Kemp was a mentor to student actors like
Bradley Cooper and
Poorna Jagannathan. She worked across the country at The California Actors Theatre in San Francisco, Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Folger Theatre in
Washington, D.C., Center Stage in
Baltimore, and Walnut Street Theatre in
Philadelphia. She was also an artistic associate and tutor at
16th Street Actors Studio in
Melbourne, Australia. ==Personal life==