About

BIOGRAPHY

David E. Shane is a director and arts administrator who specializes in the development and production of new work for the American stage. His credits include the Off-Broadway productions of Gidion's Knot (TheatreRow,) Mare In The Men's Room (Am. Theatre of Actors,) as well as the World Premiere productions of Who Is Theo?, Cookie Fight, and Elijah at the Bristol Valley Theater. David is currently the Director of Program Services for A.R.T./New York where he sets the strategic vision and goals for a robust suite of programs serving nearly 500 of New York City’s nonprofit theaters. Since joining the organization in early 2019, David has overseen the development of new adaptive programming such as a theatre-specific Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. Prior to joining A.R.T./New York, David held positions as the Program Director for StageSource in Boston, MA and Associate Artistic Director of the Bristol Valley Theater in Upstate, NY where he oversaw the funding and launch of the BVT New Works Initiative. He is also the Executive Producer of A.R.T./New York’s recently launched podcast, What’s Off? and the Project Manager for the Queer Theatres Project, expected to launch in early 2024.

MY APPROACH

I am committed to creating entertaining and compelling experiences onstage which lead to continued dialogue well beyond the theater walls. My goal as a director and administrator isn't to have all the answers – it's to be asking the right questions.

Above all, I believe that theatre is a collaborative art form. As such, I am very interested in what my fellow artists have to bring to the table. I don’t need to dictate design choices to a designer any more than I need to guide an actor through every choice they make on stage. I'm much more interested in seeing where their instincts take us and allowing them to do what they do best.

Theatre’s role in today’s cultural and social climate is to remind us of what it is to be human. That doesn’t mean it’s our job to convince everyone that we’re all the same! I believe that increased empathy can help us to celebrate our differences. I think of empathy as a muscle, and it has to be exercised regularly to remain strong. That’s our role. We help people flex the muscle so that it’s fit and ready for them to use in their everyday lives. It’s helpful to see ourselves reflected onstage. It’s also essential that we practice seeing the world through the eyes of others. Theatre can do both. We also do it (post-pandemic of course) by bringing people together in the same room, breathing the same air, and sharing a communal experience.