Ron Russell
Executive Director
Melissa Friedman James Wallert
Co-Artistic Director Co-Artistic Director
Bria Holness Debra Morris
Development Manager Operations Manager
Christina Gonzalez David Naranjo
Alumni Producing Associate Communications Associate
Epic Theatre Ensemble, founded in 2001, is dedicated to creating bold work with and for diverse communities that promotes vital discourse and social change. Epic builds thoughtful citizenship in communities throughout NYC by producing award-winning, socially minded plays and connecting these plays to schools via curriculum-integrated in-school and elective beyond- school program.
Epic makes theatre that empowers. Epic’s artists are equal parts cyphers and mentors: they create and amaze; they teach and inspire; they translate the struggles of history into lessons for our future; they fight their way into the center of the civic dialogue. We value youth voice deeply, because we share a youthful passion for justice; we believe that theatre that embraces this passion transforms audiences from passive bystanders into active participants forging a more inclusive and collaborative vision of America.
Off-Broadway, Epic has commissioned and developed 39 new works of socially-minded theatre, including 10 U.S. premieres and 13 world premieres such as nationally-known plays like Kate Fodor’s Hannah and Martin and Nilaja Sun’s No Child... and in 2015, Nilaja’s next solo piece PIKE ST., now on tour across the nation and even the world, winning numerous awards at Edinburgh in summer 2017. They’ve presented this new work alongside engaging productions of classics from Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Shaw, and New York premieres of acclaimed work from around the country and world, such as Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play in Brooklyn and Vern Thiessen’s Einstein’s Gift. Epic is the recipient of OBIE, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Drama League, and OTTO Awards, among many other honors.
EPIC THEATRE ENSEMBLE
epictheatreensemble.org
410 WEST 42ND STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10036
(212) 239-1770