Photo: Jason Llaguno
MICHELLE CHAN (she/her) is a director, theatremaker, and arts producer from Hong Kong based in New York City. She is a first-gen Taiwanese-American whose work is committed to stories that have been historically marginalized or unauthentically portrayed in attempts to redefine the roles that fabricate the American culture. Michelle’s work is often driven by complex characters telling stories of our everyday struggles.
Michelle is currently a member of The Drama League’s 2023-2024 Director’s Project, a resident artist at Breaking & Entering Theatre Collective, and teaching assistant to Suzan-Lori Parks at NYU/Tisch’s Graduate Department of Dramatic Writing. She has previously been a member of The Fled Collective, a member of the 2023 Moxie Arts Incubator, and an associate artist at Sanguine Theatre Company.
Her recent directing work has been seen at WP Theater, The Flea, Theatre Row, Keen Company, Dixon Place, A.R.T/New York Theatres, The Maker’s Space, Lime Arts Productions, The Fled Collective, Moxie Arts NY and Atlantic Acting School. She has also assisted illustrious directors at Manhattan Theatre Club and Keen Company, including May Adrales, Mark Cirnigliano, Portia Krieger, and Lou Moreno. Michelle is also the first female college graduate in her family’s lineage, holding a degree in Directing and English Literature from Pace University’s International Performance Ensemble where she trained in collaborative and devised theatremaking.
UPCOMING!
- Directing three short operas at the 2024 NYU Opera Lab, a collaboration between the American Opera Project, NYU/Tisch, and the Hudson Guild Theater spring 2024!
- Directing a reading of One Day Down by Sam Ozeas at A.R.T./New York Theatres winter 2024!
- Selected for 2023-2024 Drama League Directors Project Assistantship, will be assisting May Adrales on her premiere of Poor Yella Rednecks by Qui Ngyuen at MTC fall 2023!
- Directing a reading of Fish Meat by Esmé Maria Ng at Breaking & Entering’s Rooftop Reading Series summer 2023!
RECENT DIRECTING HIGHLIGHTS!
- You Should Be So Lucky, a new play by Alyssa Haddad-Chin exploring a grandmother and granddaughter’s reaction to their changing Chinatown
- Buck Stars, a new by C. Julian Jimenéz featuring an all-star cast of New York City high schoolers! Part of the Keen Company’s Keen Teens Festival.
- SERIALS, the beloved late-night short play competition at The Flea!
- Fyre Fest Was So Fun!!! by Catherine Weingarten, a sexy apocalyptic ‘Waiting for Godot’-ish comedy
- Helen Mirren Takes a Day Off by Alex Lin, a behind the scenes look into the personal lives of today’s powerful women through the inspiration of Dame Helen Mirren
