SDC Foundation

Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency! The Lloyd Richards Residency is an opportunity for mid-career directors and choreographers passionate about institutional leadership and illuminating Black cultural experiences on stage. To learn more and apply, visit our website Applications close June 2nd 2026

🎉 JUST ANNOUNCED! 🎉 The 2026 Abe Burrows Award for Assistant Directors Awardees and Finalists are here! Huge congrats to SUNNIE ERASO and ROMAN SANCHEZ each receiving a $10,000 award to support their directing journeys. The Abe Burrows Award is given annually to a director or director/choreographer who is working as an assistant director. The award will allow both recipients to fully focus on their work as an assistant director to an SDC Member between August 2026 and December 2027. Shoutout as well to finalists Diego Alejandro Gonzáles and Rachel Dickson! The future of our industry is looking very bright! ✨

“Is it just my Imagination” or is it time to announce a SDCF Fellow?? Congratulations to Giada Leigh who has been selected as the SDCF Choreography Fellow on Ain’t Too Proud working with choreographer Rickey Tripp at the largest outdoor musical theater venue in the country and 2025 Regional Theatre Tony Award winner—The Muny. Huge thank you to our friends at The Muny for your partnership and support.

The Callaway Party | April 20th A night celebrating the 2025 Joe A. Callaway Award winners and finalists: Excellence in Direction: Zhailon Levingston, TABLE 17 (MCC Theater). Excellence in Choreography: Darrell Grand Moultrie, GODDESS (Public Theater). Finalists in Direction: Whitney White, LIBERATION (Roundabout Theater Company), and Ken Rus Schmoll, I’M ASSUMING YOU KNOW DAVID GREENSPAN (Atlantic Theater Company). It was a special evening for creative peers to celebrate eachother, and sharing in community with one another along industry supporters from actors to writers to producers and more. Awarded in each New York City Off-Broadway season, the Joe A. Callaway Awards, stewarded by SDCF, are unique in being the only awards granted to directors and choreographers by a committee of their peers.

Just Announced | 2026 Barbara Whitman Award April 22, 2025– New York, NY) Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), today announced the recipient and four finalists for the 2026 Barbara Whitman Award. Established by theatrical producer Barbara Whitman in 2021, this award recognizes a director who has developed a clear and distinctive artistic voice and demonstrated unique vision in their theatrical work. This award is meant to heighten visibility for a director & their work in the field as well as support the work of the director with an unrestricted award of $10,000. Finalists receive a $1,000 unrestricted award. DIRECTOR JULIA ROSA SOSA CHAPARRO TO RECEIVE THE 2026 BARBARA WHITMAN AWARD FROM STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION (SDCF) Susanna Jaramillo, Irvin Mason Jr., Sarah Shin, and Diana Wyenn were all recognized as finalists for the award.

JOANNE AKALAITIS TO BE HONORED WITH THE STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION (SDCF) GORDON DAVIDSON AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE.    “JoAnne Akalaitis is a remarkable artist who has expanded and redefined the boundaries of theatrical experience. For over six decades Joanne has been a curious and fearless examiner of the human condition. Her explorations winded through the disciplines of medicine and Philosophy and finally, the theater, where she studied with many of the most influential avant garde theater artists of the ’60s. She has directed acclaimed, controversial, moving, and powerful productions at theaters and opera houses across the country and around the globe. Gordon Davidson was very fond of JoAnne. He was excited by her work and connected deeply with her belief in the power of theater to ignite passionate civic debate. Like Gordon, JoAnne is a north star in our field, always showing us a way forward.” —Neel Keller, Chairman of the Davidson Award Committee.    Keller was joined on the selection committee by directors Peter Brosius, Michael John Garcés, Marcela Lorca, and Warner Shook, along with SDC Executive Director Laura Penn. Rachel Davidson, daughter to Gordon Davidson, served as an advisor.   The Award will be presented at a ceremony at La Mama on Wednesday, May 20th at 5:30pm. RSVP TODAY—Link in bio!

broadway debut @catsjellicleball 🥹💕 i prayed for this. i worked for this. i dreamed of this. and now i’m standing in it. still searching for the right words for what these past few months have been. magical doesn’t even begin to cover it. this experience stretched me, grounded me, and reminded me exactly why i do this work. deep gratitude to @zhailon and #billrauch for your trust in me and allowing me to be in the room. to @sdcfoundation for making this possible and opening a door that has changed my life. and to @cooperhowelldirects and @nyomistewart , thank you for taking me in and for all the love you showed me in that room. for embracing me and my ideas fully and taking me in as another associate. this moment holds so much more than just me. it holds every prayer from my mother and grandmother, every sacrifice that brought me here and i owe this moment to. forever grateful to be a part of history. a new day has begun! @catsjellicleball ✨

Round #2 | of 2025-2026 SDCF Observer and Fellows opportunities! Applications are now open for fellowships with Robert O’Hara on La Cage Aux Folles at New York City Center and Rickey Tripp on Ain’t Too Proud at The Muny this summer. Apply today at Deadlines are April 20 and April 27th 5pm est. Link in bio!

The 2025 Zelda Fichandler Celebration | 4.6.26 Last night, SDCF presented the 2025 Fichandler Award to Joanie Schultz of the Central Region, and recognized finalists Dr. Brian Cheslik, Maija García, and Addie Gorlin-Han. The evening included remarks from Audrey Francis—Co-Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre, Laura Peete—SDCF Foundation Director, Laura Penn—SDC Executive Director, Charlie Newell—former Artistic Director of Court Theater and Fichandler Honoree 2013, Braden Abraham—Chair of the 2025 Zelda Fichandler Award Committee, with award presentation by Vanessa Severo. ASL Interpretation by @whereiscaden Photography by Elías Carmona Rivera It was an evening full of joy, heart, and celebration— while emphasizing the critical importance of fostering and investing in artistic communities nationwide. “There is a hunger to see the human presence acted out. As long as that need remains, people will find a way to do theater.”—Zelda Fichandler

Something’s Coming, Something Good! Meet SDCF Observer Carlos Martinez who will be observing Paper Mill Playhouse Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee on their upcoming production of West Side Story this spring. Special thank you to @papermillplayhouse for partnering with us to make this possible!

Another BEAUTIFUL SDCF Observer to announce! Pun intended. Congratulations to Joe Elise Green for being selected as the SDCF Observer for Dan Knechtges on Beautiful, The Carole King Musical at Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) in Houston, TX. From prep week to opening night, Joi will be observing Dan who is both directing and choreographing the production. We “feel the earth, move, under my feet” with excitement!

The Callaway Party | April 20 Join us at Lady Blue Cocktail Bar on Monday, April 20th at 6:30pm as we celebrate the 2025 Joe A. Callaway Award winners Zhailon Levingston and Darrell Grand Moultrie and finalists Ken Rus Schmoll and Whitney White! Apps provided and cash/card bar! RSVP link is in our bio. Limited availability!