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Stage Directors & Choreographers Foundation

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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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

04/17/2026

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, Laura Penn, Warner Shook, and 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!

04/08/2026

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 www.sdcfoundation.org

Deadlines are April 20 and April 27th 5pm est.

Link in bio!

04/07/2026

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.

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

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

Website

http://www.sdcfoundation.org/

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