Stage Directors & Choreographers Foundation

Stage Directors & Choreographers Foundation Supporting stage directors and choreographers since 1965. SDC Foundation’s ex*****on of this idea is even more wonderful and brilliant.

Mission:
Founded in 1965 by Members of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDC Foundation) is the nation’s premier organization that exists to foster, train, support and promote the craft of theatre Directors and Choreographers. Our Goals:
SDC Foundation aims to provide opportunities to practice the crafts of direction and choreogra

phy; promote emerging talent; grant access to career paths for emerging artists and young professionals; gather and disseminate craft and career information; provide forums for exchange of knowledge; increase the awareness of the value of Directors’ and Choreographers’ work.

“The SDCF Observership program always struck me as a wonderful idea. Cultivating the next generation of directors, choreographers and director-choreographers by attaching a select few with master artists in high-profile theatres—brilliant. I am truly honored and grateful I was awarded such an opportunity.” - Justin Lucero, 2015 Observer on Peter and the Starcatcher directed by Art Manke at South Coast Rep.

Just Announced! Meet the 2026 Lynnette Barkley Fund Recipients: Diego Alejandro González, Lindsey Hope Pearlman, and Jaq...
08/20/2026

Just Announced!

Meet the 2026 Lynnette Barkley Fund Recipients: Diego Alejandro González, Lindsey Hope Pearlman, and Jaquita Ta’le

The Lynnette Barkley Fund supports alumni of SDCF’s Professional Development Program with an unrestricted $5,000 grant to help advance their careers and artistic ambitions. Through this investment in theatre artists, the fund champions creativity, leadership, and the continued evolution of the field.

Congrats to this years recipients! The future of our industry is bright!✨

This years Lynnette Barkley Fund Selection Committee included Marc Bruni, Dominic Moore-Dunson, Lisa Portes, and Maria Torres.

Read more about the Lynnette Barkley Fund and this year’s recipients at www.sdcfoundation.org

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2026 Zelda Fichandler Award!! Established in 2009, the Zelda Fichandler Award recognize...
08/17/2026

Nominations are now OPEN for the 2026 Zelda Fichandler Award!!
 
Established in 2009, the Zelda Fichandler Award recognizes extraordinary directors and choreographers who are transforming the national arts landscape with their unique, creative work and deep investment in a community—and includes an unrestricted $5,000 grant from SDCF.
 
In 2026 it will be given to a director in the EASTERN REGION: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia

Click the link in our bio to nominate a Director or Choreographer in the Eastern Region!

🗓️Nominations due: September 28th, 2026

The Lynnette Barkley Award Applications are officially OPEN!To all of our past Professional Development Program alumni –...
06/17/2026

The Lynnette Barkley Award Applications are officially OPEN!

To all of our past Professional Development Program alumni – don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!

To learn more and apply, visit our website, or click the link in our bio!
Applications close July 16th 2026.

Special thank you to Lynnette Barkley for the support and belief in SDCF’s commitment to supporting Directors and Choreographers across the full arc of their careers.

Nominations Open!The Joe A. Callaway Committee Nominations are OPEN!! For more information or to fill out a nomination f...
06/12/2026

Nominations Open!

The Joe A. Callaway Committee Nominations are OPEN!! For more information or to fill out a nomination form, click the link in our bio!

What an incredible night celebrating 2025 Gordon Davidson Award Honoree, JoAnne Akalaitis. Friends, supporters, and admi...
05/21/2026

What an incredible night celebrating 2025 Gordon Davidson Award Honoree, JoAnne Akalaitis.

Friends, supporters, and admirers from across the country joined us in NYC to share in her celebration of a lifetime achievement in the American Regional Theatre.

“Like Gordon, JoAnne is a north star in our field, always showing us a way forward,” —Neel Keller, Davidson Committee Chairman

Huge thank you to for your partnership and for helping SDCF make this a special evening for JoAnne.

“In the end, the only thing that matters is the will to do it, the idea that’s worth doing—and a large family to buy tickets.”—Gordon Davidson

Welcome to the Club, Saffron Quinn!!Join us in congratulating SDCF Directing Fellow Saffron Quinn! Saffron will spend 4 ...
05/18/2026

Welcome to the Club, Saffron Quinn!!

Join us in congratulating SDCF Directing Fellow Saffron Quinn! Saffron will spend 4 weeks supporting Director Robert O’Hara on his upcoming production of La Cage Aux Folles at New York City Center.

Special thanks to for their collaboration and to all our donors who help SDCF fulfill its mission to create access for emerging and early career Directors and Choreographers to develop in their craft bridging meaningful relationships with experienced creative mentors.

Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency! The Lloyd Richards Residency is an opportun...
05/12/2026

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

“Is it just my Imagination” or is it time to announce a SDCF Fellow??Congratulations to Giada Leigh who has been selecte...
04/29/2026

“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 20thA night celebrating the 2025 Joe A. Callaway Award winners and finalists:Excellence in Di...
04/23/2026

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 AwardApril 22, 2025– New York, NY) Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (...
04/21/2026

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.

Address

321 W 44th Street
New York, NY
10036

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 6pm

Telephone

+12123911070

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