03/04/2022
By Shelley Barish

A Conversation on Diversity in Theatre with Ann James and David Shane
Wednesday, March 16, 8: p.m.
VIRTUAL EVENT: Please request Zoom link by emailing shelley_barish@uml.edu

Ann C. James’s extensive career in international stage direction and theatre education spans over three decades. An expert in the burgeoning field of intimacy direction and institutional consent culture for national arts organizations, she recently made her debut as the first Black Intimacy Coordinator on Broadway for Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over. She has also served as Intimacy Director and Sensitivity Specialist for the provocative Off-Broadway productions of Seven Deadly Sins (Tectonic Theatre Project) and Seize the King (Classical Theatre of Harlem). On the West Coast, James provides consultation and intimacy coordination for the television and film industry, most recently working with Rashida Jones, Mark Wahlberg, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell and Cynthia Enrivo. Her company, Intimacy Coordinators of Color, has partnerships with ArtsEquity, TimesUp, and A.R.T./New York. 

David E. Shane is the Senior Manager of Programs for A.R.T./New York, where he administers Professional Development, Access, Education, and Anti-Oppression Initiatives for over 400 member organizations. Alongside the A.R.T./New York team, he developed and teaches a theatre-Training curriculum which meets the legal requirements of NYC/NYS laws and provides tools for shifting the culture toward safe, consent-based working environments. David is also a freelance director specializing in the development and production of new work for the American stage, and was formerly the Associate Artistic Director of the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY.