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
Membership Director
Rashad T. Bailey
Rashad T. Bailey (he/him) is an artist and producer. He has close to two decades experience raising capital and developing partnership strategies for organizations such as The Studio Museum in Harlem, PlayCo and Asia Society. Bailey produced the film, La ENA. He is Associate Producer of the film BEBA. Theater credits as producer: Slave Play, Hart Island, Kinky Boots, Dodi & Diana. He is co-founder of Fine Print, a production company developing genre bending content from diverse voices. He is also co-founder of Chief Zero Collective, an art collective working across various platforms examining the fabric of our social and political discourse. Bailey is a member of Theater Producers of Color and a 2022/2023 Artist Resident at Colt Coeur.
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.
Membership Manager
Olivia Ragan
Olivia Ragan (she/her) is the Membership Manager at The Drama League and is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she majored in Theater Arts with concentrations in Musical Theater and Directing. She has always had a love for live theater, and began working with The Drama League as the Artistic Intern in 2018. In 2020 she joined full time as the Development Associate, combining her background in administration and customer service with her experience as a freelance director and stage manager. Since joining the staff full time, Olivia has become the Membership Manager where she continues to invest in her love for theater and theater-makers.
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 in 2021, 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.
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.
Archive Intern
Anna Evtushenko
Anna Evtushenko (she/her) is a writer-director of film and theatre, originally from Russia. She is currently completing her PhD in Information Science (data science) at Cornell University, and is based in New York City.
Board of Directors
President
BONNIE COMLEY
Vice Presidents
JOSEPH PIZZA
DR. ARTHUR POBER
Secretary
IRENE GANDY
Treasurer
TOWNSEND TEAGUE
Artistic Director
GABRIEL STELIAN-SHANKS
Executive Director
BEVIN ROSS
Development Chair
MARY JAIN
Governance Chair
SARAH HUTTON
Marketing Chair
KIRK IWANOWSKI
Programs Chair
NICOLE A. WATSON
ELENA ARAOZ
TONY BENTEN
TRISH CHAMBERS
ESTEFANĂŤA FADUL
UNA JACKMAN
PAULA KAMINSKY DAVIS
JONATHAN LONNER
GWYNN MACDONALD
STAN PONTE
FRED SIEGEL
KUMIKO YOSHII
Directors Council
Alumni
Since 1984, 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
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