New York Stage And Film Names Ian Belknap As Next Artistic Director

New York Stage and Film has named Ian Belknap as Artistic Director, following an extensive process facilitated by Culture Change Lab (Miranda Gonzalez, Alexandra Meda, Monica Montoya). Belknap will assume the role full-time beginning November 11, 2024, taking over from Interim Artistic Director Liz Carlson, who led the organization through a period of strategic restructuring in the wake of the pandemic and helped facilitate the search. Additionally, NYSAF is thrilled to share that Producing Associate Isabelle (Fereshteh) Sanatdar Stevens has been promoted to Associate Artistic Director.

Applications were reviewed and candidates interviewed by a team composed of artists, year-round NYSAF staff members, alumni, seasonal staff members, and the board of directors. From a total of 125 applicants, finalists joined NYSAF in person during the 2024 Summer Season at Marist College for further conversation in the context of the organization's core programming.

Belknap will lead NYSAF into its 40th Anniversary Season in 2025 with the support of Sanatdar Stevens and the year-round staff, featuring regular programming, legacy events, and new partnerships that will be announced at a later date. Over the past 39 years, NYSAF has developed nearly 1000 new stories for stage and screen and annually serves over 250 artists with developmental resources tailored to their needs. NYSAF offers opportunities to emerging and established artists in-process, giving visionaries and innovators permission to dream, take risks, make mistakes, and succeed in ways they didn't know were possible before they're asked to polish a final product. Current NYSAF programming includes the annual Summer Season at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY; year-round New York City-based Programming; Stories That Move workshops for dance-driven musicals; Residencies for individuals, project teams, and colleague organizations; The Filmmakers' Workshop; and various Awards & Fellowships.

“For the last several years, I have been developing new work for television and film, during which my love for the theatre never wavered,” said Ian Belknap. “It's thrilling for me to lead New York Stage and Film as their mission to develop new work across these mediums matches my passion and incessant curiosity to explore how theatre, film, and television can overlap, inform, and inspire each other. These art forms live closer than ever, and the possibilities to develop stories with authors working in these mediums feels endless. I'm particularly thrilled to be in collaboration with Isabelle Fereshteh Sanatdar Stevens as Associate Artistic Director. Isabelle's impressive intellect and dramaturgical savvy are only matched by their sense of humor and warmth.”

Ian Belknap is a former Artistic Director of Tony Award-winning theatre The Acting Company (TAC). Described by The New York Times as producing with "curatorial inspiration,” Belknap has directed, produced, or commissioned a wide range of dramatic literature from new plays by Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, Nambi E. Kelley, Lisa Peterson, and Betty Shamieh to reinterpretations of William Shakespeare (15 productions), Sean O'Casey, and John Steinbeck. Belknap's directorial and producing work has been seen from coast to coast in 800 US cities and 48 states, extensively off-Broadway and at leading resident theatres nationwide, including 59E59 Theaters, Arizona Theatre Company, Boise Contemporary Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, Everyman Theatre, The Guthrie, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, New York Theatre Workshop, New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre, New Victory, Pearl Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Resident Ensemble Players, and Theatre for a New Audience, among others. In recent years, he has also worked in television and film, developing content for major studios and networks. In addition, Ian has extensive experience building partnerships with academic communities, working with 28 universities and colleges in 17 states. Ian has directed at The Juilliard School and has an ongoing relationship with Grad Acting at New York University. Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Ian lives in New York City with his wife, Lauren, and their daughter, Thea. 

“I have worn many hats at NYSAF over the past 16 years – apprentice, artist, Artistic Producer, Interim Artistic Director – so it gives me great joy to know that this exceptional organization is in the inspired hands of Ian and Isabelle, as I step into the next chapter of my career,” said Liz Carlson. “These two passionate individuals bring a deep knowledge of creative development, community engagement, and operational management that is sure to make our 40th Anniversary and beyond some of our best years yet. Watching our community come together to achieve these milestones has been deeply meaningful to all of us who have been impacted by NYSAF. I look forward to my role on the transition team and returning to our programming as an artist!”

“Ian has been a champion of writers' new work, Shakespeare, young directors, and theater practitioners in every aspect of making theater that spans over a decade,” said writer and frequent NYSAF artist Marcus Gardley. “Not only is he genuinely kind, but he is also a tireless leader, and his passion for making and nurturing plays is unparalleled. I cannot be more thrilled knowing that he's at the helm of this new chapter at New York Stage and Film. This is a massive win for the field at a time when incubators for new work are few and far between."

“Ian Belknap is that rare person: he's an artist, and he has the patience and clarity and passion to lead an organization that supports other artists with grace and care,” said Lisa Peterson, who regularly develops work with NYSAF. “I watched the invigorating work he did with The Acting Company for years. And then I was lucky enough to make an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey for that company, commissioned by Ian. He's a guy who loves big ideas, crazy notions, and also knows how to help them come to life for real. I'm very excited that he'll be supporting writers and creators through the essential work of New York Stage and Film!”

“As New York Stage and Film embarks on its 40th Anniversary in 2025, we are thrilled to continue our legacy of strong leadership with Ian Belknap as our new Artistic Director and the promotion of Isabelle Sanatdar Stevens to Associate Artistic Director,” said Barbara Manocherian, President of the Board of Directors.  “Our work supporting artists in-process and their stories is vital for the theater and film industries. We are so grateful to have Ian and Isabelle drive our vision forward...and grateful for all of the artists, staff and board members who participated in this thorough search, adeptly led by the team at Culture Change Lab in collaboration with Interim Artistic Director Liz Carlson.  We are all looking forward to the future.”

Isabelle (Fereshteh) Sanatdar Stevens (she/they) is an Iranian & Irish-American writer, performer, and creative producer, who has served on the NYSAF artistic and producing team since 2022. Isabelle's creative work has been supported and recognized by New Rep Theatre Company (2023 Pipeline Residency Recipient), The Kennedy Center (2024 1st Place National Winner of the John Cauble Award), the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights' Conference (2024 Playwright Observer Residency), Boston Playwrights' Theatre (Upcoming Production, February-March 2025), Fresh Ink Theatre Company (HONEY GIRL), the Boston Theatre Marathon, Smith College, and Boston University. She is proud to be Boston University's 2024-25 Whitney Young, Jr. Fellow for Social Justice, and grateful to be the first artist to receive this honor in recognition of their work and driving values. They are presently completing their third and final year in BU/BPT's Playwriting MFA program headed by Nathan Alan Davis, with Hansol Jung, Ronán Noone, and Melinda Lopez on faculty. With NYSAF, Isabelle has supported the development of new works by Ngozi Anyanwu, Heather Christian, Margaret Cho, Delta Rae, Sopan Deb, Beth Henley, Princess Lockerooo, Amber Ruffin, Lauren Yee, Breaking the Binary Theater, The Movement Theatre Company, and many more. Isabelle is forever grateful to Liz Carlson for her continued mentorship and formidable leadership and looks forward to assisting Ian Belknap as he ventures into his new role. They send gratitude to the New York Stage and Film community for being an artistic home. #ZanZendeghiAzadi (Woman, Life, Freedom).

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