The Board of Directors

Adam Marple
  • 5.0 (2)
  • PERFORMING ARTS

A Bi-monthly interview series with the world’s leading theatre directors, exploring how they navigate their artistry both inside and outside the rehearsal room, creating an international platform for dialogue on directing practice, leadership, and the evolving role of the director in contemporary theatre, expanding access to professional knowledge-sharing, and fostering community among emerging and established directors worldwide.

  1. BoD Episode 13: Matt Torney

    3D AGO

    BoD Episode 13: Matt Torney

    Matt Torney is an Irish-born theatre director and the Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta, where he leads one of the Southeast’s most respected regional theatre companies, Theatrical Outfit. Originally from Belfast, Torney began his career as a freelance director in Ireland before moving to the United States in 2006 to complete an MFA in Directing at Columbia University. He has directed extensively across the U.S. and internationally, working on both new plays and bold reimaginings of classical texts, with a practice grounded in rigorous collaboration with actors and a strong visual partnership with designers. His productions have received numerous award nominations, including multiple Suzi Bass and Helen Hayes Award nominations. Recent and notable work includes The Honey Trap at the Irish Repertory Theatre (New York Times Critic’s Pick), The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee, and upcoming productions of The Glass Menagerie and The Price at Theatrical Outfit. His forthcoming projects also include The Lehman Trilogy at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Before joining Theatrical Outfit, Torney served as Associate Artistic Director of Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, and as Director of Programming for Origin Theatre Company in New York. He was also an Associate Director at Rough Magic in Dublin for eight years. Torney’s work is driven by a belief that live theatre is an essential counterbalance to an increasingly digital world, capable of bringing communities together to wrestle with complexity, celebrate joy, and sit honestly with uncertainty. As an artistic leader, he is deeply committed to new work, regional artists, and theatre that speaks directly to the moment in which it is made. Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 17m
  2. BoD Episode 12: Adriana Baer

    MAR 2

    BoD Episode 12: Adriana Baer

    Adriana Baer has been an arts professional for over 20 years. She has held leadership roles at Profile Theatre (Executive Artistic Director) and Cutting Ball Theater (Associate Artistic Director), and has worked with companies including Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Theatre Communications Group, the national service organization that works for a just and thriving theater ecology. Adriana has directed at theaters including Houston’s Alley Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Artists Repertory Theatre. She has taught courses and lectured as a guest speaker at numerous colleges and universities nationwide. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University.  As part of her mission to support the arts sector as a whole, she worked as the Arts Program Officer for a private family foundation during the pandemic, ensuring that crucial funding for arts organizations was made into multi-year commitments and distributed quickly. As a professional podcaster, Adriana founded, produced, and cohosted From Your Center, successfully publishing over 60 weekly episodes. She has been a guest on dozens of podcasts and teaches the art of podcasting and public speaking through online courses and 1:1 coaching. Adriana is dedicated to community building in the arts sector and believes in the power of creativity to enhance the local economy, cultural identity, and civic life. She is the proud founder and CEO of I’m Into This Place, a media brand focused on highlighting the vibrant arts and culture scene of Clark County.  Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 17m
  3. BoD Episode 11: Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol

    FEB 16

    BoD Episode 11: Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol

    Lizards Lying in the Sun/Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol is a collective of artists. They work in theater, create books, radio programs, videos, and educational projects. Since 2003, they have been developing projects to connect work and life, to erase and redefine boundaries. Their work seeks to create narratives from real-life events. It has nothing to do with entertainment; it is a space to think, articulate, displace, and unravel what daily life merges, overlooks, and presents to us as given. Things are what they are, but they can also be different. They have presented their work in almost every state in Mexico; at festivals, independent venues, state theaters, and universities. Abroad, among many others, they have worked at the Reina Sofía Museum (Madrid), Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), Schaubühne (Berlin), FIBA ​​(Buenos Aires), Wiener Festwochen (Vienna), Festival de Otoño (Paris), Theater Spektakel (Zurich), FTA (Montreal), HAU (Berlin), Kammerspiele (Munich), Santiago a Mil (Santiago), Bienal de Teatro (São Paulo), DeSingel (Antwerp), BITEF (Belgrade), Festival Internacional (Caracas), FAEL (Lima), Belluard International (Freiburg), Cena Contemporânea (Brasilia), TBA (Portland), FIAC (Salvador de Bahia), Festival de Otoño (Madrid), RADAR (Los Angeles), Temporada Alta (Girona), Dialog Festival (Wroclaw), Centro Cultural España (Guatemala), BAD (Bilbao), Inteatro (Ancona), TNT (Terrassa), MESS (Sarajevo), Fusebox (Austin), Norderzon (Groningen), among many others. They have received numerous awards and recognitions, including the ZKB Patronage Prize at Zürcher Theater Spektakel and the Audience Award at the Impatience Festival (Odeon Theatre and Centquatre Theatre) in Paris. Since 2023, their work has been part of The Hemispheric Institute Digital Video Library in New York.  Luisa Pardo (Xalapa) is a stage artist, aspiring farmer, and teacher; she is the founder and co-director of the Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol collective, which has produced over 20 artistic projects and performed in 23 countries at various forums and festivals. She has collaborated on theater projects with Hugo Arrevillaga, Juliana Faesler, Marco Canale, and others, and on film projects with Yulene Olaizola, Marise Sistach, and Nicolás Pereda, among others. She worked closely with the Cine Too Lab project and the CAI in Oaxaca. Currently, she is developing and coordinating the YIVI artistic-educational project in the Mixteca Alta region. Lázaro Gabino Rodriguez (Durango) Actor. Master of Arts in Theatre from the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK). Since 2003, he has been a member of the Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol collective, where he has developed his theatre work. He writes various texts and has been part of the Cascajo audiobook publishing house since 2016. As an actor, he has appeared in more than 30 feature films with directors such as Nicolás Pereda, Raya Martin, Gust Van der Berghe, and Yulene Olaizola. He has received numerous awards and has been the subject of retrospectives at the Toulouse, Paris Cinema, Geneva, and Cali Film Festivals. Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 13m
  4. BoD Episode 10: Brian Kulick

    FEB 2

    BoD Episode 10: Brian Kulick

    Brian Kulick is a director, writer, producer, educator, and current Chair of the Graduate Theatre Program at Columbia University. He has been the Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company, where he directed Galileo with F. Murray Abraham, The Tempest with Mandy Patinkin, and The Forest with Dianne Wiest. He commissioned and co-directed poet Anne Carson's award-winning An Oresteia, collaborated with composer Duncan Sheik on productions of Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle, Man’s A Man, and Mother Courage, and produced CSC's much lauded Chekhov Cycle (Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard) with Alan Cumming, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Joley Richardson, Peter Sarsgaard, John Turturro and Dianne Weist. He initiated CSC’s Music Theatre Initiative and produced revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion and Pacific Overtures. He also made CSC the home for playwright David Ives, whose Venus in Fur transferred to Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award for best play.  Before this, he was an Artistic Associate and then Associate Producer for the Public Theatre, where he directed the New York premiere of Tony Kushner’s adaptation of A Dybbuk, as well as acclaimed productions of Twelfth Night, Winter’s Tale, and Timon of Athens at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Other notable works include:  The premieres of Tony Kushner’s The Illusion (New York Theatre Workshop), Kathleen Tolan’s The Wax (Playwrights’ Horizon), and Nilo Cruz’s Two Sisters and a Piano (The McCarter Theatre).  His work has also been seen at The Mark Taper Forum, San Diego's Old Globe, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, The Magic Theatre, and Trinity Repertory Theatre, where he served as Associate Artistic Director.  His work in opera and music theatre includes productions of Carmen, Pelleas and Melisandre, A Soldier’s Tale, The Anatole Cycle, and The Guilty Mother (all for Long Beach Opera), and a remounting of Gordon Davidson’s production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (Los Angeles Opera).   He is the author of Staging Shakespeare (Methuen), How Greek Theatre Works, The Elements of Theatrical Expression, and The Secret Life of Theatre (all for Routledge). His most recent book, Staging the End of the World: Theatre in a Time of Climate Crisis, has just been released by Methuen. Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 14m
  5. BoD Episode 9: Kareem Fahmy

    JAN 19

    BoD Episode 9: Kareem Fahmy

    Kareem Fahmy has directed and developed plays at theatres including MCC, The Atlantic, The New Group, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New Dramatists, The Civilians, Writers Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Pioneer Theatre, The Magic, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Berkeley Rep, and more. He is a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect. His plays, which include Fountains of Youth, Dodi & Diana, American Fast, A Distinct Society, The Triumphant, Pareidolia, The In-Between, and an adaptation of the novel The Yacoubian Building,have been produced at Colt Coeur, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Pioneer Theatre, Writers Theatre, City Theatre, Artists Repertory Theatre, InterAct Theatre, Capital Stage, Constellation Stage, Noor Theatre, Target Margin Theatre, the Human Race Theatre Company, and Theater Alliance. Kareem has received fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Sundance Theatre Lab, the Stratford Festival of Canada, New Harmony Project, Hermitage Artists Retreat, Banff Playwrights Lab, Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Phil Killian Directing Fellow), The Old Globe (Classical Directing Fellow), Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center (National Directors Fellow), Second Stage (Van Lier Directing Fellow), Soho Rep (Writer/Director Lab), Lincoln Center (Directors Lab), The New Museum (Artist-in-Residence), and New York Theater Workshop (Emerging Artist Fellow). He is a NYSCA/NYFA Playwriting Fellow. He's been a finalist for the Princess Grace Award, the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, and the National Showcase of New Plays, is a two-time winner of the Capital Rep New Play Award, and received the Joanne Woodward/Paul Newman Playwriting Award for American Fast. His work has been developed at Atlantic Theatre Company, New York Stage & Film, Denver Center, Northlight Theatre, Citadel Theatre, and many more. ​As a screenwriter, he was in the inaugural cohort of Warner Media's Access Writers Program. His TV pilots have been finalists for the episodic labs at Sundance, Orchard Project, and Austin Film Festival. ​MFA, Theatre Directing from Columbia University. ​Kareem lives in New York City with his husband, acclaimed fiction writer John McManus, and their dog Kip. Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 23m
  6. BoD Episode 8: Alvin Tan

    JAN 5

    BoD Episode 8: Alvin Tan

    Alvin Tan is the founder and artistic director of The Necessary Stage, one of Singapore’s most respected theatre companies, and the co–artistic director of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. A central figure in the evolution of devising in Singapore, he has directed more than one hundred productions presented across Asia, Europe and Australia, including cities such as Glasgow, Cairo, Busan, Melbourne, Birmingham, London, Dublin, New Delhi, Budapest and Bucharest. His practice is distinguished by a social anthropological approach to character and an unflinching engagement with humanitarian and social issues. This is exemplified in his long-running collaboration with playwright Haresh Sharma. Tan’s stagings of Off Centre focused national attention on mental health, while Fundamentally Happy confronted the emotional and legal complexities surrounding paedophilia. Through these and many other works, he has consistently foregrounded contemporary Singaporean life and identity. Since founding The Necessary Stage in 1987, Tan has championed a collaborative, research-driven methodology. The company’s signature play-building process blends rigorous investigation, extensive improvisation and collective authorship. Under his leadership, TNS has become one of Singapore’s most influential theatre groups. Tan’s commitment to theatre as social engagement extends far beyond the rehearsal room. His advocacy helped catalyse the rise of community theatre in Singapore and brought performance into the heartlands through projects such as the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, Theatre for Youth Branch, the Marine Parade Theatre Festival and Theatre for Seniors. These platforms have enabled diverse communities to explore their stories and cultural identities on stage. He also initiated publications such as 9 Lives: 10 Years of Singapore Theatre to encourage exchange between artists, thinkers and civil society. His international work includes representing Singapore at conferences and cultural forums around the world, including the World Culture Forum Alliance in São Paulo and the Conference of Asian Foundations and Organisations in Barcelona. He was a Fulbright Scholar at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and holds degrees from the National University of Singapore, the Institute of Education and the University of Birmingham. His contributions have been widely recognised, including the Young Artist Award, the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and the Cultural Medallion. A dedicated mentor, Tan has played a formative role in the development of artists, including Chong Tze Chien of The Finger Players and Natalie Hennedige of Cake Theatrical Productions. Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 14m
  7. BoD Episode 7: Suman Mukhopadhyay

    12/29/2025

    BoD Episode 7: Suman Mukhopadhyay

    Suman Mukhopadhyay’s films deal with the socio-political realities and engage in a critical assessment of the contemporary. His explorations into the subaltern lives and histories have lent a distinction to his filmmaking and theatre productions.   Suman has directed nine full-length feature films, including Putulnacher Itikatha(2023), Nazarband (2020), Asamapta (2017), and Herbert (2005), which won the National Award for Best Regional Film that year.​ He participated and won awards in various national and international theatre and film festivals, including Busan, Montreal, Dubai, Munich, San Francisco, Seattle, and Kerala etc. Suman has also made several documentaries, TV series, short films, and cine-plays.  He was conferred with an award from the Motion Picture Association and Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane, in 2017. His latest film, Putulnacher Itikatha (The Puppet’s Tale), had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2025. Suman Mukhopadhyay is one of India’s leading theatre directors and has done productions ranging from European drama to major adaptations of Bengali masterpieces and Indian plays.  His major plays are Teesta Paarer Brittanto, Mephisto, Bisarjan, and King Lear. Suman taught and directed plays at UC Berkeley, the University of Toledo, Kalamazoo College, and Barnard College in the USA.  He was on a Fulbright fellowship (2022) at Columbia University, New York, and was a George A. Miller Visiting Artist, UIUC (2023).  Very recently, he was a recipient of the Hubert Bals Development Fund 2025.  https://www.sumanmukhopadhyay.com/ Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 28m
  8. BoD Episode 6: Pirronne Yousefzadeh

    12/15/2025

    BoD Episode 6: Pirronne Yousefzadeh

    Pirronne Yousefzadeh (She/Her/Hers) directs theatre that speaks to the moment and uplifts Global Majority communities with buoyancy, joy, and theatrical magic. She is a director, writer, and educator, serving as Associate Artistic Director and Director of Artistic Partnerships at the Playwrights’ Center. Previously, she served as the Producing Artistic Director at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and as the Associate Artistic Director and Director of Engagement at Geva Theatre. Additionally, Pirronne is a founding member of Maia Directors, a consulting group for artists and organizations engaging with stories from the Middle East and beyond.  Recent projects include King Lear (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival), The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington by James Ijames (Mixed Blood; Star Tribune’s Best of 2024 list), the world premiere of The Ants by Ramiz Monsef (Geffen), the world premiere of It’s Christmas, Carol! by Mark Bedard, Brent Hinkley, and John Tufts (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Vietgone by Qui Nguyen (Geva Theatre Center), Heartland by Gabriel Jason Dean (59E59), Yoga Play by Dipika Guha (Playmakers Repertory Company, and the world premiere of Kid Prince & Pablo by Brian Quijada (The Kennedy Center).  She has directed and developed work at The Public/Joe's Pub, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Soho Rep, Atlantic Theater Company, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Rising Circle Theater Collective, The Woodshed Collective (The Tenant: Best of 2011, The L Magazine), Partial Comfort Productions, Noor Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Wild Project, Dixon Place, The Living Theatre, The Lark Play Development Center, New Dramatists, The Kennedy Center, Geffen Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, American Conservatory Theater, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Cleveland Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Geva Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company, Huntington Theatre Company, Two River Theater Company, Milwaukee Rep, Kitchen Theatre Company, Dorset Theatre Festival, InterAct Theatre Company, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, On The Boards, Perseverance Theatre, and Hangar Theatre, where she was a 2006 Drama League Directing Fellow. Pirronne is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop, New Georges Affiliated Artist, member of Ensemble Studio Theatre and Wingspace, and an alumna of the 2050 Fellowship at NYTW, Sagal Fellowship at Williamstown Theatre Festival,  SDC Denham Fellowship, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, Ensemble Studio Theatre's Resident Director Program, New Georges Jam, and Drama League Directors Project. She has served on the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin, Rutgers University, and Bard High School Early College, and as a guest director and instructor at Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, Fordham University, and University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, among others.  Pirronne received her M.F.A. in Directing from Columbia University, where she was a Shubert Pre Connect with us This monthly gathering invites directors and other theatre makers to come together, share experiences, and seek advice in a supportive community. There is often an isolating nature to directing, and this new space aims to foster connection and collaboration. The Board of Directors is an opportunity to set aside time each month to be alongside members of the Directing community all over the world.  Support the show To submit a question: Voice- https://www.speakpipe.com/TheBoardofDirectors Email- adam@boardofdirectors.world Show Credits Host: Adam Marple Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/home

    1h 5m
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About

A Bi-monthly interview series with the world’s leading theatre directors, exploring how they navigate their artistry both inside and outside the rehearsal room, creating an international platform for dialogue on directing practice, leadership, and the evolving role of the director in contemporary theatre, expanding access to professional knowledge-sharing, and fostering community among emerging and established directors worldwide.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Marple
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Board of Directors
  • Show Website
    The Board of Directors