Play On Shakespeare Appoints Amrita Ramanan As Senior Cultural Strategist And Dramaturg

Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare through translation and adaptation, today announces the appointment of Amrita Ramanan as Senior Cultural Strategist and Dramaturg.

Play On Shakespeare's mission is to enhance the understanding of Shakespeare's plays in performance for theatre professionals, students, teachers, and audiences by engaging with contemporary translations and adaptations.

Amrita Ramanan says, "From its inception, Play On Shakespeare's vision and mission was grounded in revolution and evolution. I am thrilled to join the intrepid Play On Shakespeare team in a role that hybridizes cultural strategy, dramaturgy, and advocacy as we collectively look towards the future."

 

Amrita Ramanan is a multidisciplinary artistic leader who holds the values of anti-racism, anti-colonialism, equity, access, diversity, and inclusion at the core of her practice. In her five seasons as Director of Literary Development and Dramaturgy at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Amrita holistically supported new play commissioning and development for the Festival. She served as the production dramaturg for OSF's productions of Cambodian Rock Band, Snow in Midsummer, Oklahoma!, As You Like It, Macbeth, Alice in Wonderland, Henry V, and Henry IV Parts 1 & 2; produced and curated the Black Swan Lab for New Play Development; and created the first-ever OSF Writer's Group. Prior to OSF, Amrita was the Literary Manager/Artistic Associate at Arena Stage, where she dramaturged Arena's productions of Mary T. & Lizzy K., Trouble in Mind, Ruined, and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies; served as the line producer for Lisa Kron and Charles Randolph-Wright's playwright residencies; and produced Arena Stage's New Play Reading Series. For three years, Amrita was the Associate Producer and Resident Dramaturg at Double Edge Theatre and supported the development of Double Edge's site-specific performances Sharazad, A Tale of Love and Magic and Once a Blue Moon. Amrita received a BFA in Dramaturgy and Theater History from the University of Arizona. She is a board member for the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americans and the Network of Ensemble Theaters. She considers herself a professional advocate for artists and a lifelong lover of the arts.

 

She will provide shared leadership with CEO and Creative Director, Lue Douthit and Executive Director, Kamilah Long.

 

Douthit says, "I hope we're ready for her. That's all I have to say. Amrita brings together the worlds of Shakespearean Dramaturgy, new work devisement utilizing collective ensembles, and cultivation and curation of theatrical works using multimedia and online streaming platforms. I can't wait for her to deploy her diverse skill set on behalf of Play On Shakespeare."

 

Long says, "I have always experienced Amrita as a major advocate on my behalf and for others and I have often relied on her analysis when we have worked on projects together in the past. Having her join the team at Play On Shakespeare with her vast knowledge of plays, people and her communication skills is more than we could ever wish for."

Play On Shakespeare Board President, Ken Hitz of The Hitz Foundation says, "We are excited to welcome Amrita to Play On Shakespeare as our Senior Cultural Strategist and Dramaturg. Amrita has been a huge advocate of our work since its inception and inspired wonderful conversations about how best to broadly share our work. From the outset she pushed for producing our work internationally, and her thoughtful enthusiasm and aspiring vision will help Play On to expand our mission to enhance the understanding of Shakespeare with an ever wider audience."

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