Michael Goldfried

Michael Goldfried is a director and writer whose work often lives on the edge of comedy and pathos; exploring issues of sex, race and family with a theatrical flair. Michael has adapted and directed a number of classic comedies including “Twelfth Night” (Perishable Theater), “The Imaginary Invalid” (Trinity Rep, where he also wrote lyrics to original music by Amanda Dehnert), and “The Rover” (Fordham University). Michael has directed and developed new plays at the Summer Play Festival, The New York Theater Workshop, The Public Theater, EST/Youngblood, Ars Nova, Queens Theater in the Park, the A.R.T. and the Goodman Theater. He has worked with such playwrights as Anna Ziegler, Jordan Harrison, Beau Willimon, Rob Urbinati, Christina Gorman and Patricia Ione Lloyd.

Michael currently serves as the founder and curator of the Drama League Rough Draft Directing Residency at the Drama League Theatre Center. As a proud alumni of the Drama League Director’s Project, Michael was in residence at the Drama League as co-writer and co-director of “The Indelible Mark on Edward Barron” with Stefano Brancato, a show with actors and puppets which originated at the Jim Henson Carriage House. Michael is also the co-writer and associate director of “Icarus”, an ensemble play with puppets and original music that will be in development at the Public Theater in 2017. He directed and co-wrote with David Hanbury the rollicking comedy “Mrs. Smith Presents a Benefit for the Carlyle Empowerment School for People and Cats with Severe and Persistent Challenges”, performed at Ars Nova and A.R.T. He also directed and co-wrote “Cadence: Home” with the TE’A Theater Company, devised and directed the Facebook play “Status Update” for the McCarter Theater Education Department and directed the acclaimed revival of Charles Ludlam’s comedy “Stage Blood” at the Red Room/KGB.

Michael has served as Assistant Director to a host of acclaimed directors including Oskar Eustis (Trinity Rep & Long Wharf), Peter Dubois (The Public Theater), Les Waters (Berkeley Rep), Kevin Moriarty (Trinity Rep) and Jerry Zaks (MTC & City Center Encores). Michael was a participant in the NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. Michael is a sought-after educator, currently working as an Adjunct Professor at Pace University’s International Performance Ensemble BA Directing Program and in the faculty of Marymount Manhattan College’s Theatre Department and Performing in Digital Media program. He teaches improvisation at Improvolution, writing and directing at the School of Visual Arts’ film program, has served as directing mentor at Fordham University and as a devised theater consultant at NYU/Tisch. Michael is also an experienced actor and improviser, and maintains a private practice coaching actors and improv companies. MFA: Brown University/Trinity Rep.