The Drama League has announced casting for its DirectorFest 2022, which returns to in-person performances January 19–February 28 at the A.R.T./New York Theatres. The festival, which focuses on contemporary stage directing, features new productions led by its current Directing Fellows.
Adrienne Kennedy’s She Talks to Beethoven will be directed by New York Directing Fellow Keenan Tyler Oliphant and will feature Caro Guzmán and Milton Lyles. Casting is by Harriet Bass and Gama Valle of Bass/Valle Casting, and the production stage manager is Sydnee Davis.
Girlfriend, with a book by Todd Almond, music and lyrics by Matthew Sweet, and direction by Leo Shull Musical Directing Fellow Sivan Battat, will feature Sushma Saha and Alyssa Cassese. Casting is by Sujotta Pace, and the production stage manager is Cassie Cushing.
Aditi Brennan Kapil’s The Seventeenth Chapel, directed by New York Directing Fellow Reena Dutt, features Reya Sehgal and Lisha McKoy. Casting is by Judy Bowman and casting assistant Joe Piserchio, and the production stage manager is Sarah Samonte.
Caryl Churchill’s A Number, directed by New York Directing Fellow Ryan Dobrin, features Sid Ross and Ema Zivkovic. Pace is the casting director, and the production stage manager is Jessica Dell Beni.
She Talks to Beethoven and Girlfriend will be presented as a double bill January 19-22, and The Seventeenth Chapel and A Number will play as a double bill February 2–5.
Closing the festival February 28 will be A Tempest (Une Tempête), written by Aimé Césaire and directed by Classical Directing Fellow Lanise Antoine Shelley, presented in collaboration with Red Bull Theater and the French Institute Alliance Française.
The productions also have scenic design by Emona Stoykova, costume design by Christopher Vergara, lighting design by Molly Tiede and Bentley Heydt, sound design by Kimberly O'Loughlin, choreography by Asher Firestone, video design by Catalin Stelian, and music direction by Elijah Caldwell. Daniel Brothers serves as props coordinator, Courteney Leggett is the production manager, and Ali Skye Bennet is the artistic line producer.
The Drama League will also present Directors in Conversation: Tony Phelan January 28 at 8 PM ET via Zoom.
Audience and staff members will be required to follow all CDC, NYS, and NYC health guidelines at the time of performance. COVID protocols include mask enforcement, proof of vaccination (including booster shots, if eligible), and limited capacity to allow for social distancing. Visit DramaLeague.org.
