Staff

Artistic Director

Gabriel Stelian-Shanks

Gabriel Stelian-Shanks (he/him) is in his 23rd season at The Drama League. A director, writer and producer, Gabriel has over sixty theater, film, and television credits across the United States and Europe. One of the directors of Peculiar Works Project’s The Village Fragments (OBIE Award), his productions have been seen in New York, Seattle, Washington DC, Baltimore, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, Vienna, Sofia, Bucharest, and Budapest, among others. Most recently, he directed How To Mourn An American for Little Island in New York City. An alumnus of the Orchard Project, nominee for Best Director at both the Madrid International Film Festival and the Love and Hope International Film Festival, and recipient of the Theatre Project Honor for Outstanding Vision, he has been recognized for his arts leadership by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Proud member SDC.

Executive Director

Bevin Ross

Bevin Ross (she/her) has worked in nonprofit arts and culture organizations in New York City for over 15 years. With a deep love for the performing arts, she is committed to supporting the work of living artists. Bevin served in a senior leadership capacity directing development for the New York Academy of Sciences, an over 200-year-old internationally renowned S.T.E.M. membership organization; led Performance Space 122’s (renamed Performance Space New York) fundraising campaign to transform the organization’s East Village home through a $35 million renovation of their East Village performance venue; and spearheaded fundraising for several high profile PBS programs produced by WNET/Channel Thirteen including Abigail Disney’s Women, War and Peace. Bevin Ross holds a Masters in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Spanish from Washington University in St. Louis.

Associate Artistic Director

Nilan

Nilan (he/him+) is an international award-winning writer, director, and performer. He is the co-creator/founder of the award-winning content creative company A Certain Something. Some of his plays are FOLKtales; Stories of the Black Diaspora, Endangered Species, and The Rainbow Plays (six plays that chronicle queer life across the U.S.). Streaming: Consent is Sexy (Youtube), A Holy Her (Spotify/Apple) and TA(L)KING DIRECTION (Spotify/Apple). As a performer/creator his work has been seen at PlayMakers Repertory, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, National Black Theatre, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, New York Shakespeare Exchange, Playback Berlin, Madrid International Film Festival, Harlem International Film Festival, Downtown Art, Bedlam, and several more. He is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. He graduated from Cal State, San Bernardino (BA) and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MFA).

Associate Development Director

Helen O'Rourke

Helen O’Rourke (she/her) is a fundraiser, writer, and administrator with more than 10 years of experience working in nonprofit, corporate, and professional theater environments. A lifelong theater lover, she joined The Drama League in January of 2020 after five years in the Development department of the New York Academy of Sciences. In addition to fundraising, she is also an experienced content creator and has worked for Premier Legal Marketing since 2012. Helen has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and Music from Drew University, and she will receive her Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Baruch College in fall 2024.

Artistic Associate

Andrew Coopman

Andrew Coopman (they/he) is a director, choreographer, and playwright of Middle Eastern descent. A Drama League Directors Project alumnus, Andrew’s work as a director and choreographer has been seen on stages in Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Ithaca, New York City, and more. Credits include: The Apollo of Bellac (Hangar Theatre), Head Over Heels (Lakewood Playhouse), Bryony Lavery’s Frozen: A Play (Cabaret Theater), Little Women (Seattle Musical Theater), Cinderella (Village Theatre), and Orfeo y Euridice (Seattle Opera). Their original work,TAROT, premiered at Strawdog Theatre Company in Chicago. Other new work includes …and then the lightning struck and TREESON: A New Eco-Musical. MFA Directing, University of Washington and MA, Educational Theatre, New York University – Steinhardt. Proud SDC and AGMA member.

Development Coordinator

Bernadette Norman

Bernadette Norman (she/her) is thrilled to be working at The Drama League. She has loved the performing arts from a young age and grew up playing the piano, dancing, and avidly watching movie musicals. She attended Mount Holyoke College, graduating with a degree in language studies, and then moved to New York City to work at TransPerfect, but her love for the performing arts inspired her to change careers. During the 2021/22 theater season, she was accepted into New York Theatre Workshop’s 2050 Administrative Fellowship as the Development Fellow, which confirmed this is where she wants to be. In addition to seeing a ton of shows and concerts, her other interests include traveling, sci-fi/fantasy, and ultimate Frisbee.

Office Manager

Mike Teele

Mike Teele began his career many, many moons ago as Development Director at Ford’s Theatre after graduating from American University in Washington DC. Upon moving to NYC, he was first Managing Director at Musical Theater Works, then at Ensemble Studio Theater, and then, Founder and Managing Director of CAP21. Changing course, he spent a couple of decades in advertising, 15 years as Business Operations Director for Big Arrow Group, a boutique agency specializing in communications for patients and caregivers battling rare diseases. Prior to joining The Drama League, Mike was a business management and operations consultant for Pilobolus, Queer Art Inc, Little Orchestra Society, Charlie Guidance Productions, and others.

Artistic Assistant

Malaikia Sims-Winfrey

Malaikia “Lake” Sims-Winfrey (she/her+) is the Artistic Assistant for the Drama League. She is a theatre artist from Atlanta, GA and graduate of Elon University where she double majored in Theatre Studies and Music in the Liberal Arts. With a background in arts administration and education, she moved to New York and previously served as the Education Apprentice at New York City Center. As a multifaceted artist with interests in musical theatre and activism, Lake also spends her time as a freelance director and producer, supporting work that centers accessibility and social change.

Communications Assistant

Julia Leone

Julia Leone is thrilled to be working at the Drama League. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology; her pursuit of creative therapeutic interventions led her back to the arts, where she realized the pivotal role that expression and creation can play in marginalized communities. She serves as an Advisory Board member at SPACE (Stuttering, People, Arts, Community, Education) where she helps young people who stutter bolster their confidence by creating art.  Julia hopes to bring the same support and enthusiasm to her work at the Drama League, and help expand the reach of such a beloved organization.

Artistic Intern

Maralyn Quinones-Stead

Maralyn Quinones-Stead (she/her) is excited to be working with The Drama League. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Maralyn received her B.A. in Theatre from Georgia College and State University in 2018. Following graduation, she found her home as a Stage Management Apprentice at Aurora Theatre working on all MainStage productions and leading the apprentice company in traveling TYA productions for the surrounding community. Her love for supporting and championing artists as a stage manager brought her to New York University, where she is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Performing Arts Administration.

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Publicists

Board of Directors

The Drama League Board of Directors, composed of industry professionals, cultural philanthropists, and arts advocates, represent the highest echelon of volunteer service to the mission of The Drama League. Offering invaluable skills, counsel, support, connections and strategic thinking, the Board Members serve as ambassadors for the artists and programs. Meeting regularly and participating in the life of the organization, they are part of a vital tradition and lineage of leadership since the founding in 1916.

President

BONNIE COMLEY

Artistic Director

GABRIEL STELIAN-SHANKS

Executive Director

BEVIN ROSS

Vice President

DR. ARTHUR POBER

Secretary

IRENE GANDY

Treasurer

TOWNSEND TEAGUE

Development Chair

MARY JAIN

Governance Chair

SARAH HUTTON

Marketing Chair

KIRK IWANOWSKI

Programs Chair

NICOLE A. WATSON

Board Members

ELENA ARAOZ
TONY BENTEN
TRISH CHAMBERS

ESTEFANĂŤA FADUL

UNA JACKMAN
PAULA KAMINSKY DAVIS
JONATHAN LONNER

GWYNN MACDONALD

DARIN ODUYOYE

STAN PONTE

FRED SIEGEL

KUMIKO YOSHII

Directors Council

The Drama League Directors Council was formed as a way to further embed artists in the decision-making process of our organization, establish peer-to-peer mentorship for Fellowship recipients, and have the nation’s leading directors guide programming as we expand our mission to support directors and lead in re-emergence strategies for Broadway and the American theater industry.

Alumni

Since 1982, The Drama League has supported directors’ careers. Our fellowships and residencies have developed numerous artists, many of whom are now Artistic Directors, working on Broadway, or otherwise leading the field. Click below the list of artists who have passed through our doors.

Employment Opportunities

Please reach out to us for future opportunities.

Intern Opportunities

Please reach out to us for future opportunities.