Founding Artistic Director
Stephen Burdman founded New York Classical Theatre in 2000 and is the vision behind the creation of Panoramic Theatre. Originally from Los Angeles, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and planned to become a doctor. During college, Stephen auditioned for a production of Hamlet, and discovered his passion for Shakespeare. That experience completely changed the course of his life. Stephen founded NY Classical to give all people the chance to discover classical masterpieces as he did.
Stephen has directed over half of Shakespeare canon. To date, he has directed 38 productions for the company. Some of his favorite productions are Henry IV (a blending of Parts 1 & 2), Richard III (performed by 7 female & gender-fluid actors), Cymbeline (7 actors), The Importance of Being Earnest (Two-Ways), Romeo & Juliet (six actors), The Rivals, The Winter’s Tale, Measure for Measure, The Seagull, A {15-Min!} Christmas Carol, Playing Moliere, Henry V (in The Battery and, via ferry boat, Governors Island), Hamlet, King Lear, Misalliance, Mary Stuart, Scapin, and The Triumph of Love.
Stephen attended the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and later received an MFA in Theatre Directing from the University of California, Irvine. In 1989, Stephen was selected to participate in the first young theatre artist exchange with the (former) Soviet Union and has been a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society since 1994.
Stephen received the 2022 Sidney Berger award from the Shakespeare Theatre Association for outstanding talent and commitment to the works of William Shakespeare. He has also been a panelist with the National Endowment for the Arts, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.
He lives in Central Harlem with his wife, Adena, and son, Zeke.
Literary Director
Matthieu Chapman directs our New Visions play development program and is also an Associate Professor and Head of Theatre Studies at SUNY New Paltz. He earned his MLit in Dramaturgy and MFA in Acting from Mary Baldwin College’s Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance Program and his Ph.D. in Theatre History, Theory, and Criticism from the UC San Diego Department of Theatre and Dance.
Matt has acted on the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriar’s stage, served as a dramaturg for San Diego Repertory Theatre, and worked for the La Jolla Playhouse, as well as dramaturged and directed numerous university productions.
His research focuses on ontological structures of blackness in the Early Modern World. His monograph, Antiblack Racism in Early Modern English Drama: The Other Other is available from Routledge Press. Matt has also published articles in Medieval and Renaissance Drama in England, Theatre Topics, TheatreForum, and Early Theatre.
He has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including the Renaissance Society of America, the American Society of Theatre Research, the American Comparative Literature Association, the Mid-America Theatre Conference, and others. Other research interests include: Contemporary Black Theatre, Cross-Cultural and Trans-National Adaptations of Shakespeare, and the Dramaturgy of Black Bodies.
Staff
Briana Gibson Reeves
Social Media Manager & Audience Development Coordinator
Yetti Steinman
Supervising Producer
Jim Byk (The Press Room) - Publicist
The Mardiney Group - Graphic Design Agency
ArtsPool (Chris Flores, Haiba Hamilton, Steven Northrup) - Finance/Bookkeeping/Workforce/Payroll
Now Hiring:
Director of Development and Communications
NY Classical is looking for a dynamic Director of Development and Communication who will report to and be a strategic partner for the Founding Artistic Director. This role offers significant growth potential with the opportunity to eventually evolve into an Executive Director position for the right candidate. In addition to departmental responsibilities, this position will assist the Founding Artistic Director in shaping the company’s overall leadership, vision, and long-term direction.
The prime responsibility of the Director of Development and Communication will be to oversee critical fundraising and communication functions, leading all revenue-generating activities and marketing efforts. The role is ideal for someone who is excited by the day-to-day details of fundraising and communication for a theatre company, but also committed to a big-picture leadership opportunity.
Click here to view a full description of the role, responsibilities, qualifications, and compensation.
Board of Directors
Steven Perlstein, Chair
Partner, Kobre & Kim LLP
Jeremy E. Schiffres, Secretary
Sr. Associate Counsel, Commercial Litigation Unit, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
David S. Frankel, Interim Treasurer
Retired Partner, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP
Stephen Burdman, Artistic Director
Founder, New York Classical Theatre
Andrew Carlon
Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Nicole Chambers
Director of Client Success, Nava Benefits
Melissa Kuklin
Senior Director of Development, China Institute in America
Katriana Lopez
Digital Strategist, Oneicity
Sid Ray
Professor of English and Women’s and Gender Studies, Pace University
Nick Salamone
Artistic Associate, New York Classical Theatre
& Partner, The Christmas Decorator
Björn H. Weller
Clinical Research Consultant
Jon Lukomnik, Chair Emeritus
Maura Harway, Treasurer Emeritus
Don Mayo, In Memoriam