Staff

OUR STAFF

Brendan Burke – Artistic Director

Brendan Burke^ (Artistic Director) has been Artistic Director of SHADOWLAND STAGES since 2005, and has directed and/or produced over 100 productions, including multiple world premieres, and shows featuring such actors as Sean Astin, Judd Hirsch, Alley Mills, Orson Bean, David Strathairn, Stephanie Zimbalist, Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss and more. During his tenure, SHADOWLAND STAGES completed renovation and restoration of its MainStage building, built the Studio at SHADOWLAND STAGES, and constructed actor and staff housing. In 2019, Shadowland will relocate its scene shop and administrative offices to Center Street in the Village of Ellenville. The theatre has received multiple accolades and awards during his tenure, including Ulster County Cultural Business of the Year from the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce, Arts Organization of the Year from Arts Mid-Hudson, Citizen of the Year from the Ellenville Noonday Club, and recognition from the NAACP for contributions to our community. Mr. Burke’s other regional work includes productions at Seven Angels Theatre, NJ Rep, Chenango River Theatre, Half Moon Theatre, and FringeNYC. A member of SDC and AEA, he is also an instructor in the Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz.

Brittany Carey Proia – Managing Director

Brittany Carey Proia (she/her) joins the staff of SHADOWLAND STAGES as the Managing Director after serving as the organization’s Education Coordinator, and Interim Managing Director . In addition to her partnership with Brendan at SHADOWLAND, Brittany works with arts organizations across the Hudson Valley including – the Hudson Valley Performing Arts Laboratory – a women+ led devised theatre and arts education organization, Catskill Mountain Shakespeare – a new outdoor Shakespeare festival located in Hunter, NY, the State University of New York at New Paltz, and she serves as Dramatists Guild Ambassador for Eastern New York – providing support and education to the region’s playwrights. From 2017 to January 2020, Brittany served as the founding co-artistic director of DENIZEN Theatre in New Paltz, NY. Brittany has assisted in the development of new work with MTF, The PiTCH at Rev Theatre Co, NYMF, BMI MT Workshop, Powerhouse Theatre, the Voices of Women Theatre Festival in Tampa, and the New Georges Supported Production program. Brittany is passionate about responsibly and sustainably creating theatrical work that fosters lasting social change. As an artist, Brittany has performed at regional theatres across the country. Most recently she directed EVERYBODY by Brandon Jacobs Jenkins and served as music director for URINETOWN The Musical both at the Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz. This season she will direct BEEHIVE the 60s MUSICAL at SHADOWLAND STAGES. Brittany holds an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training and a Bachelor of Music from NYU’s Steinhardt School. She is a proud member of AEA, the Dramatists Guild, a graduate of the Ulster Leadership Development Institute, and a proud ‘key’- of The Ring of Keys; a national network of queer women, trans, and gender non-conforming artists. www.brittanyproia.com

Peter Johnson – Technical Director

Peter Johnson (Scenic Designer / Technical Director) Peter is delighted and honored to be the Technical Director at Shadowland Stages. His 40 year theatrical career began at Tri-Cities
Opera in Binghamton, NY. His talent brought him to Center Stage in Baltimore, MD. At which
point he was hired as Production Manager at Baltimore Opera Company (BOC) overseeing an
annual 5 million dollar production budget. After 12 years with BOC he returned to New York for
work with the world famous Production Resource Group. Peter is happily married to Cynthia his
wife of 20 years and they reside in Ellenville.

Ben Williamson – Education Director & Patron Services Manager

Ben Williamson (Education Director/Patron Services Manager) Ben has appeared in regional theaters including Capital Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Manhattan Theatre Club, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, American Stage, Madison Theatre, Cider Mill Playhouse, Know Theatre, Denizen Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, and the National Academy for Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China. TV Credits include Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl (HBO), The Perfect Murder (ID), Royal Pains (USA), Mysteries of Laura (NBC), Lost on a Mountain in Maine (Feature), Barry Baker (Amazon Prime) and in various national commercials including Benjamin Moore, Doritos, and Corona. As an executive producer, Ben is honored to support a new short film starring Bill Irwin and Caroline Aaron entitled ‘4th Dementia’. Ben served as Associate Artistic Director of Cider Mill Playhouse in Binghamton, NY and as Founding Co-Artistic Director of Denizen Theatre in New Paltz, NY. Ben is a current professor at SUNY New Paltz in the Digital Media and Journalism Department. BA with Honors in Acting and Directing from Binghamton University, MFA from FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.