Team
Artistic Director
Gabriel Stelian-Shanks
Gabriel Stelian-Shanks (he/him) is in his 24th 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 the Madrid International Film Festival, and recipient of the Theater Project Honor for Outstanding Vision, he has been recognized for his arts leadership by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the Arnoult/Coigney Award for International Theatre. Proud member SDC.Â
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
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 proofreader. 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 spring 2025.
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 Associate
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
Z. Jones
Z. Jones (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate performance artist and personal development entrepreneur. She is a Brooklyn native and hopes to bring more awareness about Masculine of Center folx on stage, screen and in the business world. Z. has worked with organizations like Roundabout Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center, Anacostia Playhouse, Theatre Development Fund and more. Currently, she writes and performs drag; she focuses on mentoring youth in the non-profit sector and coaching the next generation of creative leaders.
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 Presidents
KUMIKO YOSHII
SARAH HUTTON
MARY JAIN
ARTHUR POBER
Secretary
IRENE GANDY
Treasurer
TOWNSEND TEAGUE
Development Chair
MARY JAIN
Governance Chair
SARAH HUTTON
Programs Chair
GWYNN MACDONALD
Board Members
ELENA ARAOZ
TRISH CHAMBERS
ESTEFANĂŤA FADUL
UNA JACKMAN
PAULA KAMINSKY DAVIS
JENNIFER JOHNSON-BLALOCK
JONATHAN LONNER
DARIN ODUYOYE
STAN PONTE
FRED SIEGEL
Directors Council
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
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Intern Opportunities
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