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DENNIS KRAUSNICK FELLOWSHIP FUND
INTRODUCING MANAGING DIRECTOR AMY HANDELSMAN
Shakespeare & Company is thrilled to announce the appointment of Amy Handelsman as Managing Director, effective May 1, 2022. Handelsman accepted the position following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG), and comes to the Company with more than two decades of diverse experience in theater, dance, film, and television, particularly in the areas of nonprofit management, business development, and strategic planning. “I am thrilled to be joining Allyn Burrows, the rest of the staff, and the Board at Shakespeare & Company—one of the nation's most highly regarded theater companies—to uphold the playful rigor of its work and to open up new avenues for programming, partnerships, and community engagement,” she said. Most recently, Handelsman served as Managing Director of GALLIM, a movement production company that has staged productions at Lincoln Center’s Hearst Plaza, New York City Ballet, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ailey II Dance Company, and other venues. She serves on the Artistic Council of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's Playwrights Conference, and has worked as a curator, dramaturge, project manager, and consultant for a wide range of clients including the Hip-Hop Theater Festival (Hi-ARTS), HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, and locally with Jacob’s Pillow and the Batsheva Dance Company’s 2018 Summer Tour. She’s also served as Executive Director of David Dorfman Dance, as Executive Director of United States Mind Sports Association (USMSA) and United States Poker Federation (USPF), and as Creative Director of the Showtime Development Project at Center Theatre Group, developing cable projects with playwrights, directors, and talent. Handelsman has lent her talents as a story executive and producer to Disney, Warner Bros., Tri-Star, and PBS, and has also held a number of teaching positions, including as an adjunct professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and SUNY Stony Brook University, a guest lecturer at Columbia Graduate School for Film and Television, and Literacy Instructor at Girls Prep Bronx Middle School in the South Bronx, in addition to teaching aspiring b’nai mitzvah students at Lab/Shul. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, N.Y., and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Fine Arts from Harvard University. "We're very happy to welcome Amy into our midst as Managing Director,” said Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. “Ours is a unique organization, and Amy brings a perspective and sensibility that aligns with our collective conversation as we look toward new horizons.” Burrows’ sentiments are echoed by members of the Shakespeare & Company Board of Trustees, including Search Committee Chair and former Board Chair Michael A. Miller, who noted Handelsman's vast experience in the arts as a particular plus. “Having managed other very reputable arts organizations, Amy brings a wealth of experience that this company will truly benefit from. We're looking forward to having her join the Board and staff to build on the accomplishments of the last 45 years." Similarly, Board Chair Beverly Hyman, Ph.D., added that “of course, you cannot fail to recognize Amy’s rich theater experience when you meet her. But I am sure the cultural community of the Berkshires will be struck by her incredible warmth and the depth of her network of contacts in the field.” ■
Amy Handelsman
Left to Right: Anita Heller and 2021 Philip Heller Distinguished Service Award Recipient, Mary Ann Turney. Photo by Jaclyn C. Stevenson.
Philip Heller, Much Ado About Nothing, 1995
A longtime friend and an occasional spear-carrier (Much Ado About Nothing, 1995), Philip Heller was a highlyrespected real estate attorney in Lenox and represented Shakespeare & Company pro bono for 40 years until his passing in 2018. Phil, as he was known to all of us here, believed deeply in service to the Berkshire community, and he donated countless hours to its cultural and artistic institutions. His wise counsel and persuasive advocacy were essential to Shakespeare & Company’s development into the globally recognized organization that it is today. We are deeply grateful to Phil for his longtime commitment, service, and love of the Company, and to Anita Heller, who imbues Phil’s joyful spirit. A heartfelt thank you, also, to all of our Philip Heller Philip HellerFund contributors who preserve his legacy and memory. May they always reverberate throughout Shakespeare & Company’s stages, rehearsal halls, and grounds! “Life every man holds dear; but
the dear man holds honor far more precious than dear life.”
–Troilus and Cressida, Act V, Scene iii
For more information on how to make a gift to the Philip Heller Fund, please contact Bonnie Stevens at (413) 637-1199 ext. 180.
DENNIS KRAUSNICK FELLOWSHIP FUND
The Dennis Krausnick Fellowship Fund was established in 2018 by Company Founder and longtime Director of Training Dennis Krausnick. One of Dennis’s missions at the end of his life was to establish this fund in order to offer scholarships to artists of the global majority wishing to study with Shakespeare & Company’s Center for Actor Training, as well as provide resources to train in our pedagogical work. The Dennis Krausnick Fellowship Fund also supports periodic retreats, bringing teachers and trainees together to brainstorm about the direction of the programming, strengthen the Center for Actor Training, and determine how to collaborate and celebrate more deeply. Gifts to the Dennis Krausnick Fellowship Fund help bring Dennis’s mission to life. In an overwhelming outpour of love and support, more than 1,000 individual donors have contributed to the Krausnick Fund in Dennis’s memory, enabling Shakespeare & Company to grant more than $41,000 in scholarships to 35 artists of the global majority in less than three years. These gifts play a vital role in increasing access to training for the next generation of theater makers and teaching artists, helping to build a more encompassing and inclusive theater.
– Prashant Tiwari, Center for Actor Training
Dennis Krausnick
AMANDA SALAZAR
received scholarships to attend two virtual workshops in January 2021. Her theater credits include Capital Stage, TheatreworksUSA, New Ohio Theatre, Multistages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Austin Shakespeare, Marin Shakespeare, Zachary Scott Theatre, and Dreamcatcher Repertory. Amanda is currently training as an Intimacy Coordinator with IDC, and is also a Program Designer and Facilitator for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultancy. Amanda holds an MFA in Acting from The University of Texas at Austin and is a member of AEA. She dreams and fights for an industry that is inclusive of all people, reflective of the world around us, and protects disenfranchised populations. JENNEAN FARMER received her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from The New School for Drama in New York City in 2015 and received a full scholarship for the 2020 Month-Long Intensive. Before receiving her MFA, Jennean served eight years in the military and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom War Veteran. She also has a background in Radio/Television Broadcasting, having worked professionally as a traffic reporter. A few of her credits include: Television/Film - The Good Nurse on Netflix, That Damn Michael Che on HBOMax, New Amsterdam on NBC, FBI on CBS, One Tree Hill, How the Light Gets In on Amazon Prime, Smile. NYC Theatre - Toni Stone (Roundabout Theatre), Ain’t No Mo’ (The Public Theatre). Regional - Mlima’s Tale (Westport Country Playhouse), Think Before You Holla (DC Fringe Festival), A Piece of My Heart (Speranza Theatre Company). PRASHANT TIWARI is an actor/artist based in Mumbai, India and was awarded scholarships for two virtual workshops in January 2021. Before choosing to be an actor, Prashant tried different sports and musical instruments but found he couldn’t express himself fully through them. It was after getting involved in theatre and working as an actor that he found a way to express himself freely and considers theatre to be his home where he feels most alive. Prashant is dedicated to continuing to learn, explore, be more kind and have more empathy.
