Juilliard Names Anna D. Shapiro as Next Richard Rodgers Dean and Director of the Drama Division

Juilliard has appointed Tony Award–winning director, educator, and artistic leader Anna D. Shapiro as the next Richard Rodgers dean and director of the Drama Division. One of the most acclaimed theater artists of her generation, Shapiro will lead Juilliard's internationally recognized actor and playwright training programs, bringing decades of professional achievement, educational leadership, and a deep commitment to cultivating emerging dramatic artists.

An ensemble member and former artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Shapiro has built an extraordinary career directing acclaimed productions on Broadway, Off Broadway, and at leading regional theaters across the country. She received the 2008 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for the Pulitzer Prize–winning August: Osage County and earned an additional Tony Award nomination for The Motherf**ker with the Hat. Her Broadway directing credits also include Eureka Day, Of Mice and Men, Fish in the Dark, The Minutes, and This Is Our Youth.

A dedicated educator for more than two decades, Shapiro has served on the faculty of Northwestern University since 2002, where she leads the graduate directing program. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and Columbia College. Most recently, she directed Eric Bentley's Are You Now or Have You Ever Been at New York City Center.

Acclaimed actress Laura Linney, a Juilliard alum, member of the school's Board of Trustees, and artistic advisor to the Drama Division, said Shapiro's appointment is an exciting moment for the school. "I am overjoyed to be welcoming Anna Shapiro as the next Richard Rodgers dean and director of the Juilliard Drama Division. Along with her astute intellect and articulate mind, she brings her remarkable talent as a theater director as well as her understanding of how to unite and collaborate with students and faculty alike. The level of her professional and academic skill is rare indeed. Anna’s leadership and her infectious love of young artists and the arts will receive a warm and joyous welcome here at Juilliard.”

Shapiro will meet with students, faculty, and staff at the start of the new academic year in September and, following a period of transition, will begin her full-time tenure on July 1, 2027.

Shapiro's appointment follows a comprehensive search led by President Woetzel and Provost Adam Meyer. The process included broad participation from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees. 

Photo credit: Frank Ishman