The Drama League has announced Elena Araoz, Estefanía Fadul, and Gwynn MacDonald as its three newest additions to the Board of Directors. Araoz, Fadul, and MacDonald are each directors themselves, giving them experience and insight into the needs of emerging and working directors.
Araoz has directed inventive productions across theatre, opera, and multi-media at many venues, including Brooklyn Academy of Music, McCarter Theatre Center, New York City Opera, New York Theatre Workshop Next Door, People’s Light, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, White Snake Projects, Glimmerglass Opera, and Audible. Currently, she is developing three commercial musicals, including Siren in collaboration with the Shubert Organization. Araoz is the Producing Artistic Director of the Theater and Music Theater Season at Princeton University.
Based in New York City, Colombian-American director and producer Fadul's recent work includes Carla's Quince created with The Voting Project, which received a Drama League Award nomination, and the world premiere of Zoom Intervention by Noelle Viñas at Weston Playhouse, which was named a New York Times Critic's Pick. She has developed new works at Off-Broadway's The Public Theater and Playwrights Realm in addition to many regional theatres. In 2020, Fadul received the inaugural Pfaelzer Award from New York Stage and Film.
Lastly is MacDonald, a veteran director and producer who has received Ace and Emmy nominations, and Radio’s Gracie Award. Recently, MacDonald has worked on: Siachen by Aditya Rawal, a new play supported in residency by Baruch Performing Arts Center; The Monument by Randall David Cook and Cheryl Davis, developed as part of the Orchard Project Performance Lab; Taming of the Shrew translated by Amy Freed, a workshop co-produced by Play On! Shakespeare and Theater Breaking Through Barriers; and RM Cohen’s American Pastime. MacDonald is also a member of Juggernaut Theatre, League of Professional Theatre Women, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and Society of Directors and Choreographers.
"The Drama League is invested in expanding our services for Director," said Board President Bonnie Comley in a statement. "I can't think of a better way to lead in that work than adding these three incredible practitioners to our team." The Drama League was founded in 1916 to support directors, provide resources, and advance American theatre.
