Theater News

Judith Light to Offer Welcoming Remarks at DirectorFest

The annual event is presented by the Drama League.

Judith Light will take part in the Drama League's DirectorFest event.
Judith Light will take part in the Drama League's DirectorFest event.
(© David Gordon)

The Drama League has announced that Judith Light will present welcoming remarks at the organization's annual DirectorFest event. Executive artistic director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks will also present remarks preceding the performances.

The citywide festival focusing on the art of contemporary stage directing will include five fully staged productions, a showcase evening of new musicals, staged readings, discussion panels, books signings, workshops, and conversations with America's most notable directors.

Taking place in venues across Manhattan, highlights of the festival include rarely seen plays by David Henry Hwang and Enda Walsh, new works by Gabrielle Reisman and Alejandro Ricaño, and more, all directed by 2017 Drama League Directors Project Fellows Laura Brandel, Bonnie Gabel, Matt Dickson, Flordelino Lagundino, and Rebecca Martinez.

The festival will also include Alex Rubin's new play Group, featuring Jenn Colella, in a staged reading directed by Directors Project alumna Ilana Ransom Toeplitz. UpClose, a series of conversations with America's foremost contemporary directors, will feature Anne Bogart, Anne Kauffman, Damon Kiely, Robert O'Hara, Kimberly Senior, and George C. Wolfe.

Along with Colella, the acting company for the series will include Jen Blood, Christine Bruno, Elijah Caldwell, Drae Campbell, Cory Censoprano, Lynn Craig, Cindy de la Cruz, Tanesha Gary, Tamrin Goldberg, Jenna Leigh Green, Doug Harris, Stephen Hu, LaToya Jackson, Mary Knapp, Sami Ma, Zoe Manarel, Jason Moody, Mary Liz McNamara, Aaron Phillips, Schuyler Press, Jamie Ann Romero, Eliza Simpson, Saidu Sinlah, Jason Veasey, and Pilar Witherspoon.

DirectorFest will take place January 13-22 at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture, the Drama League Theatre Center, and the Drama Book Shop.

For more information, click here.