Stage Directors And Choreographers Society Announces Changes To Senior Leadership Team

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional stage directors and choreographers throughout the United States, today announced a newly created position on its senior staff team as well as the merging of its existing Member Services and Communications departments.

Under the leadership of the SDC Executive Board and Executive Director Laura Penn, SDC's Membership has grown 35 percent over the past decade, and the Union has expanded its breadth to include initiatives that have significant impact on its Members, artistically and culturally, and that ultimately intersect with employment conditions. The position of Director of Artistic Affairs and Community Engagement was created to fully support this growth. The Director will contribute to, and advocate for, SDC's commitment to an inclusive culture in our Membership, organization, and the field. Concurrently, the Union is aligning its Member Services and Communications efforts to create a more integrated and cohesive approach to support its national Membership.

With 20+ years' experience at SDC, Barbara Wolkoff has become the Director of Member Services and Communications. Of Wolkoff's expanded role, Executive Director Laura Penn said, "After more than 20 years serving in multiple departments at SDC, Barbara is well positioned to advance the Member service and communications efforts that are vital to achieve our ambitious and necessary work, while continuing to serve the Membership as she has for many years."

Stephanie Coen has been engaged as the Union's first Director of Artistic Affairs and Community Engagement. Coen will be responsible for identifying emerging creative issues and opportunities and developing a system of programs to support SDC Members' leadership and influence.

Regarding Coen's appointment, Penn said, "It is necessary for SDC to be proactive about a wide range of important issues-in areas such as political engagement; support for equity, diversity and inclusion efforts; and the advancement of intimacy choreography-that are becoming increasingly present in the lives of our Members. Stephanie brings a dynamic skill set that comes from her experience working with some of the most ambitious organizations and artists in the theatrical community, and she has a deep understanding of how directors and choreographers make their work. We are excited to welcome her to our staff."

Coen said, "SDC is on the forefront of leading critical conversations about what the American theatre can achieve by 'thinking big' about artistic excellence and civic engagement. I am thrilled to join Laura Penn and the exceptional team at SDC as we work with our Executive Board to support our national theatre community of professional stage directors and choreographers."

Coen comes to SDC from Two River Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, where she served for nearly a decade as Associate Artistic Director under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias and Managing Director Michael Hurst. She began her career at Theatre Communications Group, first working for Peter Zeisler and Lindy Zesch, then in various editorial positions at American Theatre Magazine, including Managing Editor. She was Director of Publications at The Public Theater/NYSF under the leadership of Producer George C. Wolfe. At Seattle's Intiman Theater, she served as Director of Communications for Artistic Director Bartlett Sher and Managing Director Laura Penn.