Drama League Directors Project announces Fall Directing Program Fellows

Drama League Directors Project 2011 begins August 22 with its annual weeklong Summer Retreat in the Berkshires. David Staller, artistic director and founder of New York's Gingold Theatrical Group, which presents the popular series Project Shaw (now in its sixth year), is set to mentor four New York Fall Directing Program Fellows.

The four directors chosen for the New York Fall Directing Program are Desdemona Chiang, Amanda Friou, Lily Whitsitt, and Dawn Monique Williams. These four finalists were selected from over 100 applicants, following a demanding application and interview process.

The New York Fall Directing Program is designed to immerse the four fellows in the myriad directing opportunities available in the professional theatre - both regionally and in New York.

The play chosen for the week's intensive study is George Bernard Shaw's MAN AND SUPERMAN.

The actors selected to work with these directors include Scott Barrow, Denis Butkus, Gideon Banner, Carman Lacivita, Antoinette Lavecchia, Jesse Perez, Erin Moon, and Meg MacCary.

David Staller is the first person ever to direct performances of all of Shaw's sixty-five plays and is a frequent lecturer on Shaw's works.

Now in its twenty-seventh year, The Directors Project has advanced the careers of over 250 talented young directors. They are the artistic directors, associates, and resident directors at over 55 professional theatres. They are directing on and off Broadway, at major theatres across the country and abroad, and in film and television. Their work has been honored with Tony, Emmy, Obie, Bessie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Lucille Lortel, Drama-Logue and Helen Hayes Awards, as well as the NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship, the TCG New Generations Grant, the Alan Schneider Award, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA Fellowship, and the Sir John Gielgud Fellowship.

The Directors Project is led by Roger Danforth, who has extensive credits as a producer, director, educator and arts administrator. Since 1996 he has been the artistic director of the Drama League
Directors Project, the country's foremost career development program for directors, which was honored with the Theatre Museum's 2006 Award for Excellence in Theatre Arts Education.

For more information, visit www.projectshaw and www.dramaleague.org