About

BIOGRAPHY

David E. Shane is a director and arts administrator with nearly 15 years of leadership experience in both producing theaters and arts service organizations. He is the inaugural Executive Director of Theatre Commons LA, and arts service organization dedicated to advancing a vibrant and inclusive theatre community in Los Angeles.

Prior to moving to the West Coast to join TCLA, David was Executive Director of CO_LAB Theater Group, an Off-Broadway company that produces original work by, with, and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was hired to lead CO_LAB through a period of significant financial strain, and in his two years as Executive Director, he executed a dramatic financial turnaround, eliminating a $300,000 operating deficit within the first year and more than doubling operating reserves. At the same time, he increased staffing and salaries and oversaw the development of a new professional touring initiative that brings original work by disabled adult actors into NYC schools serving students with disabilities. 

From 2010 to 2024, David was at the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (A.R.T./New York), where, as Director of Program Services, he set the strategic vision and goals for a robust suite of programs serving over 450 of New York’s nonprofit theaters, and produced hundreds of live events and digital resources to help ensure a just and thriving theatrical ecosystem. During his tenure, David oversaw the development of new adaptive programming such as a theatre-specific Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, a Disability Equity workshop series, and semi-annual conferences that engage hundreds of leaders from across the sector each year. He also developed and launched the What’s Off? Podcast, for which he served as Executive Producer. 

Prior to A.R.T./New York, he held positions as the Program Director for StageSource in Boston, MA, and Associate Artistic Director of the Bristol Valley Theater in upstate New York, where, in addition to producing dozens of productions, he oversaw the launch of the BVT New Works Initiative.

Alongside administrative leadership positions, David maintains an artistic practice as a director with a focus on contemporary plays and the development of new work. His credits include the Off-Broadway productions of Gidion's Knot (TheatreRow) and Mare In The Men's Room (Am. Theatre of Actors); the World Premiere productions of Who Is Theo?, Cookie Fight, and Elijah at the Bristol Valley Theater; and the regional premiere of We’ll Get Back to You by Rob Bell at Prima Theatre. He has been a frequent visiting artist at UMASS Lowell, where he has devised and directed original verbatim theater and led numerous workshops and lectures.

MY APPROACH

I am committed to creating entertaining and compelling experiences onstage which lead to continued dialogue well beyond the theater walls. My goal as a director and administrator isn't to have all the answers – it's to be asking the right questions.

Above all, I believe that theatre is a collaborative art form. As such, I am very interested in what my fellow artists have to bring to the table. I don’t need to dictate design choices to a designer any more than I need to guide an actor through every choice they make on stage. I'm much more interested in seeing where their instincts take us and allowing them to do what they do best.

Theatre’s role in today’s cultural and social climate is to remind us of what it is to be human. That doesn’t mean it’s our job to convince everyone that we’re all the same! I believe that increased empathy can help us to celebrate our differences. I think of empathy as a muscle, and it has to be exercised regularly to remain strong. That’s our role. We help people flex the muscle so that it’s fit and ready for them to use in their everyday lives. It’s helpful to see ourselves reflected onstage. It’s also essential that we practice seeing the world through the eyes of others. Theatre can do both. We also do it by bringing people together in the same room, breathing the same air, and sharing a communal experience.