La Jolla Playhouse Names New Directing Fellow, Part Of Effort To Attract New Voices

By Editor, Times of San Diego

January 20, 2023

The La Jolla Playhouse has announced New Yorker Kat Yen as its Directing Fellow, a new two-year appointment.

The playhouse’s Directing and Stage Management Fellowship Program, which offers both directing and stage management fellowships, was launched last spring as a central component of the organization’s Anti-Racism Action Plan. The theater formulated the plan to become more representative of, and welcoming to, BIPOC voices.

Yen joins the playhouse this month. The stage management fellow has yet to be announced.

“The Playhouse is deeply committed to playing an active role in supporting the next generation of BIPOC theatremakers. The Directing Fellow position was designed for someone exactly like Kat, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the playhouse family,” said Christopher Ashley, La Jolla Playhouse’s artistic director.

The two-year fellowships include full salary and benefits, and offer recipients the opportunity to gain both artistic and administrative experience, including interaction with all departments, guest artists and community members.

Each fellowship includes a slot directing or stage managing a show in the playhouse’s subscription season. The fellows also will play an active role in the theater’s day-to-day activities, participating in multiple programs, including the DNA New Work Series, Without Walls (WOW) and the Performance Outreach Program (POP) Tour.

Yen is a Taiwanese-American theatre director who was born and raised in New York City. She has directed at Atlantic Theater Company, Ars Nova, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Bushwick Starr, among others.

Her recent productions include Heart Strings by Lee Cataluna, Happy Life by Kathy Ng and Marisol by José Rivera. Kat is an alumnus of the Yale School of Drama and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

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