Tony-winning director Anna D. Shapiro has been named the next Richard Rodgers dean and director of Juilliard’s Drama Division.
Shapiro, who will lead Juilliard’s actor and playwright training programs, will meet with students, faculty, and staff at the start of the new
academic year in September. Following a period of transition, she will
begin her full-time tenure July 1, 2027.
An
ensemble member and former artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre
Company, Shapiro won her Tony for her direction of the original Broadway production of August: Osage County. She was also Tony-nominated for her direction of 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. 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.
“Anna is among the theatre’s most respected artists,” said Juilliard
president Damian Woetzel in a statement. “She brings exceptional creative leadership,
clarity of educational purpose, and an unwavering belief in the power of
artists to shape culture. We are thrilled to welcome Anna as the next
Richard Rodgers dean and director of Juilliard
Drama. She is a singular presence in the field, deeply respected by her
peers, connected to the most vital creative work, and passionate about
preparing the next generation to lead with imagination and purpose.”
Laura Linney, a Juilliard
alum, member of the school’s Board of Trustees, and artistic advisor to
the Drama Division, added, “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 theatre 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 stated, “It is such an honor to join the incredible community of faculty, staff, and students at Juilliard.
To be asked to add my voice to the leadership of this storied American
institution, in a moment where the cultivation of our next major
cultural voices is so critical, is a responsibility I do not enter into
lightly. I am thrilled and humbled and ready. I cannot wait to begin.”
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.
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School’s mission is to cultivate
excellence through the highest caliber of education in music, dance,
and drama for gifted students from around the world, so they may achieve
their fullest potential.