Shakina Nayfack Named 2017 Beatrice Terry Artist In Residence Fellow By The Drama League

By: Feb. 23, 2017
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The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Executive Artistic Director), has named Shakina Nayfack the 2017 Beatrice Terry Artist in Residence Fellow, the second recipient of the award named in honor of the late Beatrice Terry, an alumna of The Drama League Directors Project. An all-star advisory board, including director Michael Mayer (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), playwright Gretchen Michelfeld (Nellie Bly), New Georges Artistic Director Susan Bernfield, The Women's Project Artistic Director Lisa McNulty, and Mr. Stelian-Shanks made the selection. The Residency will be administered under the mentorship of Mr. Stelian-Shanks and the Drama League Associate Producer, Travis Ballenger.

The Beatrice Terry Artist in Residence Fellowship, the first of its kind in the nation, funds the development of a new work by an emerging female or female-identified writer-director, culminating in a residency and staged reading at The Drama League Theater Center in Tribeca (32 Avenue of the Americas). Previous recipients include Elena Araoz (Plastic Drastic, 2015), and Morgan Gould (I Wanna F****** Tear You Apart, 2016).

"We received an extraordinary number of superb applicants for the Terry Residency this year, but Ms. Nayfack's project captured the imagination of the selection panel," said Mr. Stelian-Shanks. "This singular piece has tremendous promise, and we are overjoyed to be supporting Ms. Nayfack as she brings it to fruition."

During the Terry Residency, Ms. Nayfack will write and direct a reading of Chonburi International Hotel and Butterfly Club, loosely inspired by the classic American play Stage Door by Edna Ferber and George S. Kauffman. The piece follows a month in the lives of the residents and employees at the Chon Inter Hotel in Chonburi, Thailand, a world-renowned destination for transgender women recovering from gender confirmation surgery. With a large cast of eccentric characters, including trans women from around the world, Thai healthcare workers, and adolescent Australian athletes, the play focuses on the temporary community and unconventional sisterhood created in the hotel lobby. A largely autobiographical exploration of what it means to become a woman, the real life joys and heartbreaks of the Butterfly Club help us all to celebrate who and what we're becoming, even when most of us have no idea who or what that is.

Shakina Nayfack, originally from Southern California, enjoys an eclectic career as a performer, director, writer, producer, and social activist. She plays Lola on the Hulu comedy series Difficult People and is the founding Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory (MTF), where she has supported the development of over 100 new musicals, including an autobiographical rock musical about her gender confirmation, Manifest Pussy. Shakina is a proud recipient of a Lilly Award for Working Miracles, recognizing the remarkable contributions to the American Theatre made by women, a TRU Humanitarian Award winner, and alumna of the Drama League Directors Project. She holds a BA from UC Santa Cruz, an MFA, and PhD from UC Riverside.

The Drama League Resident Artists Program, made possible in part by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Drama League's Lead Season Sponsor, Resolution Life, offers director/collaborator teams and/or ensembles an opportunity to comfortably develop a new theatre piece as artists-in-residence at the Drama League Theater Center in Tribeca. A residency stipend, significant hours of rehearsal space, professional mentorship, administrative support, and community engagement allow selected artists to fully inhabit an extended, process-oriented residency experience. For more information, please visit www.dramaleague.org or call (212) 244-9494.

The Drama League Directors Project is the preeminent career development program for theatre directors - providing talented artists with transformative experiences in the professional theatre.

The Drama League of New York, since 1916, has been at the forefront of the American Theatre community, providing talent, audiences, and prosperous support. It is one of the nation's oldest continuously-operating, not-for-profit arts advocacy and education organizations. Through its programs, initiatives and events, The Drama League serves over 3,000 artists and 15,000 audience members each season with over 150 events and programs. For more information about events or membership please call Tom Sime at 212.244.9494 ext 101.

Resolution Life is the proud Lead Season Sponsor of The Drama League.

For additional information, please visit the website at www.dramaleague.org.



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