Alfred Preisser Biography

Alfred Preisser is an award winning director, writer and producer of theatre. He has led over forty professional productions in New York and regionally. From 1999 – 2009 Mr. Preisser was the Founding Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem, where he has created a wide and distinguished body of work noted for its physicality, originality, and use of music and dance. His production of Melvin Van Peebles' Aint Supposed To Die a Natural Death garnered seven Audelco Awards including Best Director, and his 2006 production of King Lear with Andrč De Shields opened the 75th Anniversary season at The Folger Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C. He has created critically acclaimed original adaptations of Medea, The Trojan Women, Electra and Caligula and his production of Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe recently completed a sold out run at The Harold Clurman Theatre on 42nd Street, and was named Outstanding Musical Production of The Year by The Audelco Committee. Other projects with CTH include Macbeth, which toured Germany in 2004, Hamlet, Day of Absence, Dream on Monkey Mountain, and Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Preisser was the Director of the Theatre Department at The Harlem School of the Arts from 1999-2007.