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The John Wells Fellows - Masters in Directing
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A new season is almost here! We are thrilled to share the 2026-2027 CMU School of Drama productions directed by our MFA Directors, featuring season poster artwork designed by MFA Directing alum Carlos E. Martinez!

Swipe through for a first look at the season:

X by Alistair McDowall
Directed by Matthew Kereama
October 7-10, 2026

Fool for Love by Sam Shepard
Directed by J. Cody Spellman
October 7-9, 2026

People, Places and Things by Duncan Macmillan
Directed by Fangran Li
November 18-21, 2026

Good Bones by James Ijames
Directed by Aurelia Clunie
March 3-5, 2027

Congratulations to Matthew, Cody, Fangran, Aurelia, and all of the artists bringing these productions to life. We can’t wait to see you at the theater!

Posters: @cemartine.z x @cm.posters taken in Carnegie Mellon School of Drama by @cmu.directing

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24 days ago

Welcome back, Tartans! As a new academic year begins at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, we’re thrilled to welcome four new artists to the John Wells Directing Program. Meet our newest MFA Directing Fellows!

SARAH CONNOLLY (she/her)
Sarah is an NYC-based theater director creating work at the intersection of the political and personal. A Wesleyan University graduate with Honors in Comparative Politics and Civic Engagement, she explores how complex socio-political dynamics shape everyday lives. She recently made her Off-Broadway debut directing The Betrothed at WP Theater, with additional work at The Makers’ Space, PMT House of Dance, Masquerade Theatre, and The Tank.

LAUREN KATZ (she/her)
Lauren is a Chicago-based director, educator, and arts administrator. Recent credits include Poor Behavior, It’s a Wonderful Life, Marvelous Wonderettes, and Mary’s Wedding at Oil Lamp Theater; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Women of 4G at Babes with Blades; and The Prom at Highland Park Players. She has collaborated with Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Goodman, Victory Gardens, and Writers Theatre, most recently serving as Steppenwolf’s Education + Engagement Producer.

MARCO RIVERA (he/him)
An artist from Los Angeles and Pachuca, Mexico, Marco investigates “belonging” in spaces where borders are both physical and intrapersonal. His fascinations with puppetry, opera, and world mythologies shape his work. Recent directing includes Beat of the Traps at MoMA, Real Women Have Curves at Westchester Playhouse, and Watermarks at Theatre West. His multidisciplinary career also includes Walt Disney Imagineering and producing for film and television.

MALLIKA SHAH (she/her)
Mallika is a director and theatre-maker from Mumbai drawn to confronting dialectical truths through joyful, collaborative tinkering. She creates kinetic, immersive work that challenges audiences and seeks visceral impact. Her original play I Killed my Mother / It Wasn’t my Fault captivated audiences across India with its unflinching depiction of girlhood within modern India’s complex socio-cultural landscape. Her training began at SUNY Geneseo and continued at The Drama School Mumbai. by @cmu.directing

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a month ago

Broadway debut alert! Congratulations to CMU MFA Directing alum Tatiana Baccari on making her Broadway debut as the Directing Fellow on School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at Manhattan Theatre Club. Tati has had the great privilege to work alongside Tony Award-nominated director Whitney White on Jocelyn Bioh’s acclaimed play, now running on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.

Congratulations, Tartan! by @cmu.directing

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4 days ago

Congratulations to CMU MFA Directing alum Samantha Pazos on her first week of rehearsals as the SDCF Observer on Lincoln in the Bardo at The Metropolitan Opera!

Over the next few weeks, Sam will observe acclaimed director Lileana Blain-Cruz throughout the development and rehearsal process, gaining firsthand access to the artistic leadership and collaboration behind this new opera. SDCF Observerships provide emerging directors and choreographers with a unique, production-long opportunity to witness the full journey of a production, from first rehearsal through opening night, while learning directly from some of the field’s leading artists.

We are so proud of you, Tartan!

Post by @sdcfoundation taken in Met Opera Lincoln Center by @cmu.directing

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15 days ago

Congratulations to CMU MFA Directing alum Kaycee Swierc, who has been announced as the Directing Assistant for How to Play the Cello (Until You Don’t) as part of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s 38th Annual Festival of New Musicals!

Each year, NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals brings together eight new musicals and their creative teams for 45-minute concert presentations attended by hundreds of producers, artistic leaders, developers, and other industry professionals from around the world. More than 300 musicals have been launched through the Festival, including Come From Away, The Drowsy Chaperone, Lempicka, Teeth, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Congratulations, Tartan! taken in New York City by @cmu.directing

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16 days ago

A Pittsburgh homecoming! The John Wells Directing Program is thrilled to celebrate MFA Directing alum Katie Brook on her appointment as the next Artistic Director of Pittsburgh’s Quantum Theatre.

Katie, who earned her MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2012, will succeed Quantum founder and longtime Artistic Director Karla Boos beginning January 1, 2027. Known for her bold, experimental approach to theater, Katie returns to Pittsburgh to help lead the next chapter of one of the city’s most adventurous theatrical institutions.

We are incredibly proud to welcome a John Wells Directing alum back to Pittsburgh. Congratulations, Tartan!

@quantumtheatre by @cmu.directing

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23 days ago

I am deeply honored and humbled to share that I have been named the Paul Mellon Distinguished Professor of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University.

Established in 2000 through a generous gift from the estate of Paul Mellon, this distinguished professorship honors his lifelong commitment to the arts and humanities. The son of Andrew W. Mellon, Paul Mellon also played an important role in the merger of the Mellon Institute of Research and the Carnegie Institute of Technology that created Carnegie Mellon University.

I am profoundly grateful to Provost Jim Garrett and to Carnegie Mellon for this recognition—and especially to Dean Mary Ellen Poole for her continued support, encouragement, and belief in me and my work. To have my contributions as an artist, educator, and advocate honored in this way is deeply meaningful.

This appointment also belongs to the extraordinary students, colleagues, collaborators, and artists who have shaped my work and challenged me to keep asking what theater can make possible.

It strengthens my commitment to nurturing the next generation of directors, advancing inclusive and accessible approaches to performance, and creating spaces in which artists can take risks, encounter difference, and imagine new ways forward.

I receive this honor with deep gratitude, renewed purpose, and great hope for all we have yet to imagine and create together.

The work begins anew.

#CarnegieMellonUniversity #Theatre #ArtsEducation #Director #accessibletheatre
📸@wurtzelphotos taken in Carnegie Mellon University by @cmu.directing

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a month ago

From Pittsburgh to Edinburgh! ✈️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Congratulations to Kim Weild, Area Chair of the John Wells Directing Program and director of MIDSUMMER, and third-year MFA Directing Fellow Matthew Kereama, assistant director, on wrapping an incredible Pittsburgh engagement and arriving in Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe!

Nine actors. Ninety minutes. One unforgettable dream. This fresh, fiercely funny translation and adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic by Jeff Whitty now heads across the pond for its next chapter.

Swipe through for a sneak peek at MIDSUMMER in Pittsburgh before the company takes on Edinburgh!

We are so proud of Kim, Matthew, and the entire MIDSUMMER team. Congratulations on this tremendous journey, now show Edinburgh what you’ve got!

MIDSUMMER
Assembly @ St Andrew Square — Bijou
August 6–19 | 12:30 PM
Presented by the CMU Center for New Work & Play On Shakespeare.

📸: @lbs_photo
Poster by MFA Directing Alum @cemartine.z by @cmu.directing

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2 months ago

Carnegie Mellon University’s John Wells Directing Program is proud to celebrate MFA
Directing alum Kaycee Swierc on returning to @themuny for Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations. Go Tartans! taken in The Muny by @cmu.directing

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3 months ago

Carnegie Mellon University’s John Wells Directing Program is proud to celebrate Kim Weild on her promotion to Full Professor with Indefinite Tenure at Carnegie Mellon University.

The highest faculty rank, promotion to Full Professor recognizes sustained excellence in teaching, creative and scholarly achievement, leadership, mentorship, and service. This well-earned milestone reflects Kim’s extraordinary impact as an artist, educator, and leader, and her unwavering commitment to training the next generation of theatre makers.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Weild on this remarkable achievement! taken in Carnegie Mellon School of Drama by @cmu.directing

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3 months ago

Carnegie Mellon University’s John Wells Directing Program is proud to celebrate Second-Year MFA Director Cody Spellman and his production of A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin at Little Lake Theatre. Congratulations to Cody and the entire creative team on this exciting production.

📸 Production photos by Alexis Hawk. by @cmu.directing

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3 months ago

We are proud to celebrate MFA Directing Alum Samantha Pazos and her short film, Cinco y sueños, written by Sandra Portal-Andreu.

Set in 1990s Miami, Cinco y sueños follows Camilo, a devoted Cuban father determined to preserve tradition and give his daughter the quinceañera of her dreams. After losing his job, his faith and patience are put to the test. As magical visions of ancestral symbols begin to weave into his everyday world, he places his hopes in five numbers from La Charada Cubana, the Book of Numbers. Camilo’s quiet gamble becomes a tender exploration of sacrifice, tradition, and the enduring dreams of immigrant families.

Currently in post-production after more than a year of development, the film is a moving exploration of family, tradition, sacrifice, and the dreams that sustain immigrant communities. We are excited to support Samantha’s work and can’t wait to see where Cinco y sueños goes next. taken in Miami by @cmu.directing

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3 months ago