Ensemble Studio Theatre Names New Managing Director

Ensemble Studio Theatre have announced that Adriana Borzellino, who was hired as Transition Manager and Interim Managing Director in August 2022, has been named EST’s new Managing Director, effective as of October 1.

"Adriana has displayed exceptional collaborative skills and has worked tirelessly with our co-Artistic Directors to support their work and that of the entire organization,” said Board Chair Donna R. Ward. “Her permanent appointment will help ensure stability and continuity for EST as we move into our next chapter."

“Adriana has been such a wonderful addition to the administrative team at EST and I am thrilled to welcome her permanently to the position,” said Lynnette Freeman, EST Members Council Chair. “She has been a constant support, and advocate for members’ needs and inquiries throughout major moments of change in the organization, and she has remained steadfast, level-headed, kind, and innovative. I am excited to continue to work with Adriana and continue to build with someone who I not only respect, but who has demonstrated great care for the members in her decision making, and thereby has my greatest trust!” 

“I’m so pleased and honored to be joining EST as their Managing Director and supporting such a rich and long legacy of commitment to new and emerging theatre,” said Adriana Borzellino. “I always say that ‘I have a process mind, but a creative spirit’, which feels very aligned with EST's own ethos in many ways, and also feels personally fulfilling.”

Borzellino continued, “I first came to EST two years ago in a temporary position to help bridge a gap, but/and the passion and overall verve to move the mission and vision forward was palpable and evident even then. What stood out more than anything though was knowing that when you come to EST, you join a group of dynamic and committed people at all levels who love what they do – staff, members, board, and artists and friends of the theatre. It’s an exciting time for EST as a theatre, and I’m excited to be part of continuing that forward.”

ADRIANA BORZELLINO spent over 20 years working in the nonprofit space, prior to this position. Most of that time has been focused on supporting youth and arts-based nonprofits. She enjoys lending her expertise to strengthen and solidify operations so that organizations can execute on their mission and elevate their artistry. Adriana currently serves on the Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY) Highest Awards Committee. Adriana is originally from Reading, PA, graduated college from Drexel University with a dual major in Sociology and Communications, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

ABOUT Ensemble Studio Theatre:

Ensemble Studio Theatre (Estefanía Fadul and Graeme Gillis, Co-Artistic Directors) is a Hell’s Kitchen-based, Off-Broadway theatre focused on the development of new work and voices since its founding by Curt Dempster in 1968.  For over 55 years, EST has developed thousands of new American plays and has grown into a company of over 600 actors, directors, playwrights, designers, and stage managers. EST's mission is to develop and produce original, provocative, and authentic new work. A dynamic community committed to a collaborative process, EST is dedicated to inclusion across all aspects of identity and perspective, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexuality, physical or mental ability, physical or mental health, and recovery, while acknowledging and working to end systemic marginalization and oppression at all levels of its organization. EST discovers and nurtures new voices and supports artists throughout their creative lives. This extraordinary support and commitment to inclusivity are essential to yield extraordinary work. 

EST’s primary programs include Youngblood, a collective of emerging professional playwrights; the EST/Sloan Project, a partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that commissions, develops, and produces new works about science and technology; and the Marathon of One-Act Plays, a landmark New York theatre festival since 1977.

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