dael orlandersmith | playwright & actor

Dael’s plays include Stoop Stories, Black n’ Blue Boys/Broken Men, Horsedreams, Bones, The Blue Album, Yellowman, The Gimmick, Monster, and Forever. Ms. Orlandersmith was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Drama Desk Award nominee for Yellowman and the winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for The Gimmick. Dael is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts grant, The Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights, a Guggenheim, along with several other awards and honors. Her play, FOREVER, was commissioned and performed at the Mark Taper Forum/Kirk Douglas Theatre Fall of 2014, followed by performances at the Long Wharf Theatre Winter 2014/15, New York Theatre Workshop Spring 2015, and will run at Portland Center Stage Winter 2016. Her play’Until the flood ‘ was done at St louis Repertory fall of 2016. She is currently working on two commissions for Artists Repertory theatre In Portland and Milwaukee Repertory theatre. ‘Until the Flood ‘ was done at Rattlestick theatre in 2018 and Milwaukee rep .in 2019 it was done at Portland center stage / ACT Seattle/ the Arcola theatre in London/ The Galway Arts festival at the Druid theatre/ and at the Traverse at Edinburgh Festival…the play was performed in Berlin at the Schaubuhne theatre in April of 2022 and at the Spoleto festival In Charleston SC in june 2022. Ms orlandersmith is working on a Commission for Rattlestick theatre called .’watching the watcher’.. and had two plays opening at Milwaukee repertory theatre in 2022 -NEW AGE - directed by Jade king Carroll and ‘ Antonio’s song/ I was dreaming of a son’ directed by Mark Clements which will open at the Goodman theatre Spring 2023/ MS orlandersmith ‘s new play SPIRITUS/VIRGIL’SDANCE commissioned by Merrimack theater in Massachusetts will be done at CATF theatre in west Virginia summer 2023 and Rattlestick and Merrimack theaters 2024.. In June - August of 2024 orlandersmith acted in Marin Ireland’s Pre Existing Condition at the directed by Maria Dizzia at the Connely theatre. Orlandersmith is currently working with writer/performer David Cale and director Robert falls on a play called ‘ you don’t know the lonely one’. Winter 2024 Orlandersmith ‘s play BLOOD MEMORY was part of the Ne w festival at eh GOODMAN and will be done at the GOODMAN in 2026 In 2020 orlandersmith was the recipient of the Doris Duke grant .

Neel Keller | Director

Neel has worked closely with Dael Orlandersmith for many years. They have collaborated on the development of several of her plays including, UNTIL THE FLOOD, SPIRITUS, and FOREVER. Their productions have been seen at theaters across the US and Europe. Neel is passionate about working with playwrights on new plays. In addition to his work with Dael, his recent directing projects include the world premieres of Deb Hiett’s CIRCLE FORWARD, Kimber Lee’s TO THE YELLOW HOUSE, Eliza Clark’s QUACK, Julia Cho’s OFFICE HOUR, and Jennifer Haley’s THE NETHER. Neel has directed at many theaters including, The Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, South Coast Repertory, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Neel is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and the Directors Guild of America.