I am currently the Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta, GA (www.theatricaloutfit.org)
Originally from Belfast, I worked as a freelance director in Ireland before moving to the United States in 2006 to complete an MFA in directing at Columbia University. I have directed extensively in New York, regionally in the USA, and internationally, and my productions have been nominated for numerous awards.
I direct both new plays and dynamic productions of classics, with a focus on deep work with actors, and creating vivid imagery through design. Recent work includes The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini (nominated for seven Suzi Bass Awards, including Best Director and Best Production), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee (nominated for six Suzi Bass Awards, including Best Director and Best Production), both for Theatrical Outfit, and The Honey Trap by Leo McGann for Solas Nua in Washington DC (nominated for ten Helen Hayes Awards including Best Director and ‘Best Production’). For a full resume click here.
My work is grounded in the idea that theatre, and other live art forms, are a vital response to a world that is becoming increasingly displaced onto digital platforms and virtual communication. The incredible work of dynamic theatre artists can connect powerfully with a live audience, and help us celebrate the joys, console the sorrows, and wrestle with the complexity of modern life. I believe that the best work happens when a theatre connects deeply with its community, welcomes diverse voices, and works in the context of the present moment.
Theatrical Outfit (TO) is a 45-year-old professional theatre company located in a beautiful historic building in downtown Atlanta. Our mission is to produce world class theatre that starts the conversations that matter, and we center incredible Atlantan artists right in the heart of our city . Our Made in Atlanta new work program commissions and develops new stories about our city, and we recently premiered a new hip hop musical about Congressman John Lewis’ early life in the civil rights movement, Young John Lewis.
Prior to joining Theatrical Outfit, I was the Associate Artistic Director of Studio Theatre, one of the leading contemporary theatre companies in DC. Before that I was the Director of Programming for Origin Theatre, an Off-Broadway company whose mission is to bring the best of European new writing to the USA. Additionally, from 2007 to 2015 I was an Associate Director of Rough Magic in Dublin, one of Ireland’s leading independent theatre companies for over 30 years.
Photo by Teddy Wolff