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Saheem Ali

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BIO

Ali assisted on productions in Minneapolis at Theatre de la Jeune Lune and Wintertime at the Guthrie Theater in 2003. Ali was assistant director on several productions in Boston, including Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) Shakespeare's Henry Vin 2002 and Macbeth in 2003. He assisted on the operas Powder Her Face in 2003 and Angels in America in 2006 for Opera Boston. He also assisted on The Miser for American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in 2004.



In 2009, he was assistant director for Giant and in 2010 for Angels in America, both at Signature Theatre Company. In 2010 he assisted on A Free Man of Color at Lincoln Center Theater and in 2011 for The Normal Heart on Broadway.

In 2014, Ali conducted a workshop on Dominique Morisseau’s Facing Our Truths. In 2015, Ali was Associate Director under Michael Greif for The Tempest. In 2017, he conducted a reading of The Unbearable Whiteness of Being, the Jeremy Kamps play, and he directed Twelfth Night for The Mobile Unit and set the action in coastal Florida with Viola and Sebastian as Cuban refugees.

Ali was slated to direct Richard II for Shakespeare in the Park in the summer of 2020, but with the Covid-19 pandemic, he re-envisioned the production as a serialized radio play, co-produced by The Public Theater and WNYC-FM radio. It starred André Holland in the lead and had a cast of predominantly actors of color including Lupita Nyong'o, John Douglas Thompson, and Phylicia Rashad. He followed with two more radio plays, including Anne Washburn’s Shipwreck and the 2021 bilingual Romeo y Julieta starring Lupita Nyong'o.

The National Endowment for the Arts describes Ali's signature as "his ongoing work with plays that contemporize and expand Shakespeare". In summer 2021, he directed Merry Wives, an adaptation of The Merry Wives of Windsor by Jocelyn Bioh for The Public. In 2022, he directed Fat Ham, a new play by James Ijames, that received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Ali had previously worked with Ijames when he workshopped Kill Move Paradise at National Black Theatre in 2016 and directed it in 2017.

Photos

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2025]
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[Off-Broadway, 2025] Cancelled
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[Off-Broadway, 2025]
Director
Conceiver
 
[Broadway, 2025]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2024]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2023]
Director & Developer
 
[Broadway, 2023]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2022]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2021] Cancelled
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2020]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2019]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2019]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2019]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2019]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2018]
Director
 
[Off-Broadway, 2018]
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[Off-Broadway, 2017]
Director
 
[Broadway, 2010]
Assistant Director

Awards and Nominations

Drama League Awards - 2024 - Outstanding Direction of a Musical

Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club

Tony Awards - 2023 - Best Direction of a Play

Saheem Ali, Fat Ham

Drama Desk Awards - 2022 - Outstanding Director of a Play

Saheem AliMerry Wives

Drama League Awards - 2022 - Outstanding Direction of a Play

Saheem AliMerry Wives


winner
Obie Awards - 2022 - Special Citation

Saheem AliFat Ham


winner
Obie Awards - 2022 - Sustained Achievement in Directing

Saheem Ali

Videos

News


3RD ANNUAL BLACK MOTHERHOOD AND PARENTING NEW PLAY FESTIVAL Streams New Season

Blackboard Plays and the Parent Artist Advocacy League will partner to uplift the stories of Black families for the 3rd Annual Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival.
Stage Directors And Choreographers Society Announces Executive Board Election Results And President's Award

SDC announced the results of its 2024 Executive Board election, highlighting new leadership roles and the organization's future direction. Discover the elected members and their upcoming initiatives.
Nick Rashad Burroughs, Amber Iman & More to Star in GODDESS at The Public Theater

The Public Theater has revealed the initial cast for the upcoming musical GODDESS. After a world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, GODDESS will make its debut in New York. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.
Cast Announced For Ma-Yi Theater Company's SUMO 相æ'² At The Public Theater

Ma-Yi Theater Company and The Public Theater announced the cast for SUMO 相撲, featuring a diverse ensemble of performers. The production explores themes of tradition and identity through the lens of sumo wrestling.
Daniel Aukin and nicHi douglas Receive Joe A. Callaway Awards from SDCF

Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation's 2023-2024 Joe A. Callaway Awards will be awarded to Daniel Aukin for excellence in directing for Stereophonic and nicHi douglas for excellence in choreography for (pray). Learn more about the award!
Broadway Buying Guide: October 7, 2024- ELF Arrives for the Holiday Season

Looking for the best deals on Broadway shows? Welcome to our new weekly guide to the most popular shows listed on BroadwayWorld. Check out which shows are selling this week, October 7, 2024.
Video: GOOD BONES at The Public Theater

Performances are underway for The Public Theater's GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Check out all new clips from the show in the video here!
Review Roundup: GOOD BONES Opens At The Public Theater

The Public Theater is presenting GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Read the reviews!
Photos: Public Theater Celebrates Opening Night of GOOD BONES

The Public Theater just celebrated opening night of GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Check out photos from inside the big night!
Elevator Repair Service's GATZ Returns To The Public Theater In November

The Public Theater will present the final New York City encore presentation of Elevator Repair Service's critically acclaimed GATZ based on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. More than a decade after the last time the epic played at The Public, the production will once again bring this creative retelling of a classic to a new generation of audiences.
New Musicals GODDESS and THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS Join The Public Theater's 2025 Season

The Public Theater has announced two additional new musicals that will be part of The Public’s Spring 2025 and Fall 2025 seasons at their landmark Astor Place home on 425 Lafayette Street. The new musicals include GODDESS and THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS.
Photos: GOOD BONES at The Public Theater

The Public Theater is presenting GOOD BONES by James Ijames and directed by Saheem Ali. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames explores gentrification and the growing price of the American dream in his sharp, funny new play, GOOD BONES. Get a first look at production photos.
The Drama League Opens Applications for 2025 Directors Project

The Drama League opened applications today for the 2025-2026 programs of its Directors Project. Applications for the many Fellowships, Residencies, and Assistantships are available now. Learn more about the programs!
GOOD BONES Extends Through October At The Public Theater

James Ijames' GOOD BONES, directed by Saheem Ali, has been extended through Sunday, October 27 at the Public Theater.
What We Know So Far About BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB

Buena Vista Social Club is officially getting ready for a Broadway bow. What do you need to know about the new musical? Let's study up!
New Plays by James Ijames & More to be Featured in The Public's JUDITH CHAMPION NEW WORK SERIES

The Public Theater will present the inaugural Judith Champion New Work Series, a collection of readings in which select playwrights present full-length new plays currently in development at The Public. Learn how to attend.
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld September 17, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is September 17, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB Will Arrive on Broadway in 2025

The acclaimed new musical BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB is coming to Broadway! A band of renowned musicians from across the globe will  tell the legendary story of the artists who recorded the original album. The new musical features a book by Marco Ramirez and will be directed by Tony nominee Saheem Ali.
GOOD BONES by James Ijames Extends at The Public Through Late October

The Public Theater will begin performances for the New York premiere of GOOD BONES, written by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames. The production has been extended. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets.
Photos: In Rehearsal for GOOD BONES At The Public Theater

James Ijames’ New York premiere of GOOD BONES, directed by Saheem Ali starts previews on Thursday, September 19 at The Public Theater. The company is hard at work in the rehearsal room preparing for the show's debut. Head behind the scenes in new photos!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What awards has Saheem Ali been nominated for?

Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Drama League Awards) for Buena Vista Social Club, Best Direction of a Play (Tony Awards) for Fat Ham, Outstanding Director of a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Merry Wives, Outstanding Direction of a Play (Drama League Awards) for Merry Wives, Special Citation (Obie Awards) for Fat Ham and Sustained Achievement in Directing (Obie Awards).

What awards has Saheem Ali won?

Saheem Ali has won the Special Citation at the Obie Awards for Fat Ham and the Sustained Achievement in Directing at the Obie Awards.

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