The New School for Drama Names Doug Hughes
Artist-in-Residence

New York City, September 4, 2007—The New School for Drama has announced that award-winning director Doug Hughes will be the distinguished Artist-in-Residence for the 2007—08 academic year. He recently won a Tony Award for Best Direction for Doubt, written by 2006—07 artist-in-residence John Patrick Shanley. He also won the Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk awards for the same production. In 2004 Hughes received Tony, Lortel and Outer Critic’s Circle nominations for his direction of Bryony Lavery’s renowned play Frozen.

“We are fortunate to have such an accomplished director on hand to inspire our students,” said Robert LuPone, director of The New School for Drama. “His experience in both classic and modern productions will instill in our students the drive and dedication needed to amass a promising body of work. This is an excellent opportunity for our acting and playwriting students in additio04n to those studying directing. Hughes’ range of work complements our degree programs perfectly.”

As artist-in-residence, Hughes will teach two master classes in the fall and spring semesters. Hughes will also address the school as a whole in a town hall meeting moderated by LuPone, in which he will describe his experiences on the stage and answer student questions.

While serving as artist-in-residence, Hughes will be directing Theresa Rebeck’s new comedy Mauritius for the Manhattan Theatre Club. He comes to the school on the heels of directing the Broadway revival of Inherit the Wind, starring Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy. Before his arrival on Broadway, Hughes is credited with revitalizing the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut. A graduate of Harvard, Hughes has served as associate artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club, associate artistic director of the Seattle Repertory Theatre and director of artistic planning of the Guthrie Theater. He recently directed Broadway productions of A Touch of the Poet by Eugene O’Neill and A Naked Girl on the Appian Way by Richard Greenberg. Other recent New York productions include The Paris Letter, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and McReele. He currently serves as resident director of Roundabout Theatre Company.

I am delighted to visit The New School during Bobby LuPone’s tenure,” said Hughes of his new post. “He has been a crucial and inspiring figure in my life in theater.  It will be wonderful to spend time with the students under his guidance.”

The MFA directing program at The New School for Drama offers a comprehensive hands-on education in the art of directing. The three-year curriculum commences with the history of theater and directing and the study of the Alexander Technique. The second year is devoted to study of classic works and directing techniques. The third year is focused entirely on planning and production and culminates in a full-scale production that serves as a master’s thesis. Directing is one of the three MFA programs at The New School for Drama, alongside playwriting and acting, which enables students to work collaboratively to develop their skills as professional artists.

The New School for Drama is guided by a distinguished and passionate faculty, including directing program chair Elinor Renfield, whose production of Johnny Got His Gun won an Obie Award; Casey Biggs, director of award-winning productions of Hedda Gabler, The Sea Gull, Richard III, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Three Sisters; Lou Jacob, recipient of the Princess Grace Statue Award for Sustained Excellence for his years of experience directing new plays, musicals, classics, and adaptations; and Austin Pendleton, celebrated actor, director, and playwright. These faculty members are complemented by those of the playwriting and acting program, such as playwrights Christopher Shinn, Frank Pugliese, and Michael Weller; Playwriting chair Pippin Parker; and Acting chair Ron Leibman.

About The New School for Drama

At The New School for Drama, the instinct to create is revered. Through its interrelated three-year MFA program in acting, directing, or playwriting, the school is forging the next generation of dramatic artists. A faculty of working professionals brings to the fore each student’s unique and original voice and helps them establish a rooted sense of who they are as individuals and as artists. The New School’s history in the dramatic arts began in the 1940s, when the Dramatic Workshop, led by founder Erwin Piscator and a faculty including Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, fostered artistic voices as distinctive as Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando. For more information, visit www.drama.newschool.edu.