SARAH ELIZABETH WANSLEY

AWARDS & AFFILIATIONS

BOLD Women’s Theater Leadership Cohort 2 (2021-2024)
Cleveland Play House Artistic Directing Fellow (2018-2019)
Drama League Resident Artist (2018)
New Georges Affiliated Artist
Drama League Directing Fellow (2015)
Access Theater Artist-in-Residence (2017-2018)
Lincoln Center Directors Lab, (2011). 

DIRECTING (REGIONAL)

2025, VERMONT FARM PROJECT, Book by Jessica Kahkoska, Music and Lyrics by Tommy Crawford, Northern Stage

2024, PIRATES OF PENZANCE by Gilbert and Sullivan, Cape Rep Theatre

2024, CONSTELLATIONS by Nick Payne, Northern Stage

2023, SWEAT by Lynn Nottage, Northern Stage

2022, SPRING AWAKENING Music by Duncan Sheik, Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater, Northern Stage

2022, STEEL MAGNOLIAS by Robert Harling, Weston Theater Company

2022, HEISENBGERG by Simon Stephens, Northern Stage

2020, THE AMISH PROJECT by Jessica Dickey, PlayMakers Repertory Company

2109, THE WOLVES by Sarah DeLappe, SUNY Purchase

2019, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM by William Shakespeare, Inter-Arts Collaboration with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua School of Dance, Chautauqua School of Music and Chautauqua Theater Company

2019, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’s DREAM by William Shakespeare, Chautauqua Theater Company

2019, EGRESS by Melissa Crespo and Sarah Saltwick, Cleveland Play House

2018, REVOLT SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN.. by Alice Birch, Dobama Theatre

2018, THE SEAGULL by Anton Chekhov, Cleveland Play House / Case Western Reserve University

2018 THE AMISH PROJECT by Jessica Dickey, Chautauqua Theater Company

2017 CURTAINS by Amanda Sage Comerford, Luna Stage

2013 CORNERSTONE by David Jacobi, La Jolla Playhouse (Without Walls Festival)

2009 WHAT THE FUTURE AWAITS by Ciara Recopalchi, McCarter Theatre (Youth Ink Festival)   

DIRECTING (SELECTED NEW YORK)

2020, MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhaus, Fordham University

2018 TIME by Bleu Beckford Burrell, EST / Youngblood

2018 IBSANITY by Nina Morrison, Fordham University

2017 I NEED YOU, I WANT YOU by Harron Atkins, EST / Youngblood

2017 GODSPELL by Stephen Schwartz and John Michael Tebelak, Fordham University (Mimes and Mummers)

2017 OUTER BANKS by Stephen Foglia, Signature Theatre (Columbia University) 

2016 CRY EDEN by Patrick Barrett, music and lyrics by Tommy Crawford, Access Theater

2016 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare, Alchemical Theatre (Classical Theatre Collective)

2016 BEV by Gina Femia, EST / Youngblood

2016 THE GAME OF LOST THINGS by Jessica Fleitman, Burrows Theater (NYU Tisch)

2016 LEFT OF CENTER by Ife Olujobi, Burrows Theater (NYU Tisch)

2016 IN JUST A WHISTLE by Callan Stout Nuyorian Poets Cafe (Pipeline Theater Company) 

2015 OUT AT SEA by Slawomir Mrozek, TBG Theater (Drama League Directorfest)

2015 THE BAD GERMAN by Tessa Keimes-Kim, New York International Fringe Festival

2013 EX MACHINA by David Jacobi, New York International Fringe Festival

2012 WOYZECK by Georg Buchner (translated by Sarah Wansley), Access Theater (Aporia Theater)

2011-2012 #SERIALS@THEFLEA by various writers, The Flea Theater

2011 HERE COMES TOMORROW by Patrick Link, EST / Youngblood

2011 WHY PLUTO IS A PLANET by Darragh Martin, Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Festival

2010 FOLLOW ME DOWN by Patrick Barrett, The Flea Theater (Aporia Theater) 

DIRECTING (EDUCATIONAL)

2014 THE BURIAL AT THEBES by Seamus Heaney, Univ. of California, San Diego

2014 DELUGE OR, THE PANDA PLAY by Kristin Idaszak, Univ. of California, San Diego (Wagner New Play Festival)

2014 RADIANCE (A WITCH HUNT) by Kristin Idaszak, IDEAS Residency, CAL IT2 (workshop)

2013 DRUMS IN THE NIGHT by Bertolt Brecht, Univ. of California, San Diego   

2013 EX MACHINA by David Jacobi, Univ. of California, San Diego (Wagner New Play Festival)                                                                                                                       

PRODUCING

BOLD Associate Artistic Director, Northern Stage (2021-present) - Part of the BOLD Women’s Leadership Circle for women+ Associate Artistic Directors, Cohort 2. Responsibilities include line producing Northern Stage’s 5-show mainstage season and leading new work development, artistic supervision for both mainstage and education productions, facilitating community partnerships and talkbacks, supervising the e-term program with Dartmouth College, representing Northern Stage in the community, season planning, strategic planning and problem solving as a member of Northern Stage’s senior management team.

Artistic Producer, Chautauqua Theater Company (2017 - 2020) - Responsibilities include producing a touring Shakespeare production and New Play Workshops, leading dramaturgy and community engagement for main stage productions, directing educational programming, contributing to season planning, strategic planning, event planning, grant writing and day-to-day operations.

Artistic Directing Fellow, Cleveland Play House (2018-2019)
As the inaugural recipient of the Cleveland Play House Artistic Directing Fellowship for Women, was in residence for the 2018-2019 season under the mentorship of Artistic Director Laura Kepley and Associate Artistic Director Robert Barry Flemming training in artistic leadership, producing models, fundraising and community engagement. Directed a workshop production of Egress by Melissa Crespo and Sarah Saltwick as part of CPH’s New Grount Theatre Festival and an MFA production of The Seagull, participated in the season planning & strategic planning process, presented at donor cultivation events, lead pre-show conversations and talkbacks, co-taught a directing class for local professionals, interacted with CPH’s Board of Directors and engaged in weekly seminars on a range of leadership & EDI topics.

Assistant to the Producing Director / Company Manager, The Flea Theater (2010 -2012) - Managed The Bats, a resident company of over 90 non-equity actors; produced readings and workshops, including casting; assisted with all aspects of marketing and development, including creating original video content; evaluated new play submissions; coordinated logistics of all special events; liaised with rental companies.

Directing and Producing Assistant McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ (2008-2009)- Assistant director of four main stage productions (listed above); Created institutional videos, evaluated new play submissions, assisted with season planning and dramaturgical research, wrote both entries for McCarter’s blog and academic articles for online Audience Guides, participated in a high school playwriting residency, and contributed to the day to day running of LORT B+ and LORT C theaters. 

Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Aporia Theater (2007-2012) - Artistic and logistic leader of a non-profit theater company that produced world premieres at Access Theater, The Flea Theater, Cherry Lane Theatre, both the NY and Capital (DC) Fringe Festivals and Columbia University, as well as a reading series, peer-run skill workshops and other artist development projects. www.aporiatheater.com

TEACHING

Guest Director, Dartmouth College (2023)

Adjunct Faculty, Fordham University (2016-2020)

Masterclass: Text Analysis for Directors @ The Drama League

Masterclasses at Baldwin Wallace University, Kent State University and Fordham University

Teaching Artist, Center for Arts Education (current) 

Teaching Artist, Arts Connection (2017-2018) 

Teaching Artist, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) (2016-2018)

Guest Artist, NYU Tisch School for the Arts (Spring 2016) 

Teaching Assistant, University of California, San Diego (Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching) (2012-2015) 

EDUCATION

University of California, San Diego, Master of Fine Arts, Directing (2015)         
Advisor: Gabor Tompa, Artistic Director Hungarian Theatre of Cluj

Columbia University, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude (2008)                                       
Major: English and Comparative Literature (focus on dramatic literature); Elected to Phi Beta Kappa (top 2% of class)