#Collaboration - Associate Artistic Women Leaders of Color

This conversation was recorded in late May 2020, prior to the murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, and Rayshard Brooks, and in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and far too many others. We hold their families in our thoughts and wish for swift justice. We’ve attached links in this video and in its description to point you towards just a few of the many ways you can support Black lives, Indigenous lives, and people of color. We hope to not distract from the important work happening in our world, but ally it with light from artists, and to spread leadership and hope.

We recognize and stand with the following organizations:

Black Lives Matter, blacklivesmatter.com

Black Visions Collective, blackvisionsmn.org

NAACP Legal Defense Fund, naacpldf.org

American Civil Liberties Union, action.aclu.org/give/now

National Resource List, linktr.ee/NationalResourcesList

Recorded on May 20, 2020

We gathered three rising stars of the field who serve our industry as both director and associate artistic director to debunk what exactly is the role of an associate artistic director? We also deep-dived into the experience of being a woman of color on the job at a historically White institution. Drama League alums Nicole A. Watson (Round House Theatre), Dawn Monique Williams (Aurora Theatre Company), and Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Geva Theatre Center) sit down with our Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks.

IN CONVERSATION, The Drama League's acclaimed series of discussions with the directors changing the face of theater, television, and film, is now online! The process of creating art is revealed in these intimate, surprising, and wide-ranging conversations with award-winning creators from around the world.
The artists in this video have donated their time and fees to help provide much-needed aid, relief, and programs for stage directors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can help! Donate here:
dramaleague.org/ghostlight

If you're a director needing assistance, visit our COVID-19 resources and emergency relief programs here:
dramaleague.org/covidresources/covid19resources

Watch the interview on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/434185313/2ec2932dfa 

Learn more about Nicole A. Watson:
nicoleawatson.com/

Learn more about Dawn Monique Williams:
dawnmoniquewilliams.com/

Learn more about Pirronne Yousefzadeh:
pirronne.com/

A list of artistic leaders of color to know:

Meila Bensussen
Artistic Director
Hartford Stage

Chanel Bragg
Associate Artistic Director
Arizona Theatre Company

Snehal Desai
Artistic Director
East West Players

Barry Fleming
Artistic Director
Actors Theatre of Louisville

Nataki Garrett
Artistic Director
Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Maria Manuela Goyanes
Artistic Director
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Rebecca Martinez
Associate Artistic Director
WP Theater

Jonathan McCrory
Artistic Director
National Black Theatre

Muriel Miguel
Artistic Director
Spiderwoman Theater

Raelle Myrick-Hodges
Creative Director
651 ARTS

Evren Odcikin
Interim Associate Artistic Director
Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Jacob G. Padron
Artistic Director
Long Wharf Theatre

Ralph B. Peña
Producing Artistic Director
Ma-Yi Theater Company

Michael A. Sheppard
Artistic Director
Celebration Theatre

Hana S. Sherif
Artistic Director
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Harold Steward
Producing Co-Executive Director
The Theater Offensive

Stephanie Ybarra
Artistic Director
Baltimore Center Stage

and many more.