The Drama League Names Tony Award-winning producer & BroadwayHD Founder Bonnie Comley as President of Board of Directors

The Drama League (Artistic Director, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks; Executive Director, Bevin Ross) which, since 1916, has been at the forefront of the American Theatre community, providing theater directors with prosperous support, announced today three-time Tony Award-winning producer, CEO, and Founder of BroadwayHD Bonnie Comley will become the organization's new Board President.

Traditionally held by a leader in an outside field, Comley takes the helm of the Board as the organization’s first Broadway industry leader to hold the position in over 50 years – a key benefit coming out of these turbulent times. Having been elected to three terms as Vice President of The Drama League, and serving on the Board since 2009, Comley succeeds Stan Ponte, who steps down due to term limits and will remain on the Board of Directors. Additional officers of the Board for this term will be Vice Presidents Joseph Pizza and Arthur Pober, Secretary Donna Daniels, and Treasurer Tony Benten.

An award-winning member of the New York theater community, Comley has also been recognized as a Top Silicon Valley Entrepreneur to Watch in 2021. As founder and CEO of BroadwayHD, the world’s premier online streaming platform delivering over 350 premium live productions to theater fans globally, Comley & BroadwayHD provided a bright path forward during the closure of theater worldwide due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“I am honored to have been elected President and I am thrilled to lead The Drama League during these unprecedented yet promising times,” says newly elected Board President Bonnie Comley. “My career has taken me to the intersection of theater and technology – and both aspects have fueled my excitement about holding this position. As a Broadway producer, I have seen and heard firsthand how the support of the Drama League has propelled the careers of the talented alumni of their Directors Project. As live theater restarts, digital theater will remain as an additive, more inclusive, and expansive piece of the industry, which is now ready to embrace the possibilities it can provide. And while we will always celebrate and foster the work of the live stage, The Drama League will continue to train and include the work of theater directors who also work in the digital space, and I cannot wait to share my experience with the next generation of stage directors.”

“Bonnie has been an integral part of The Drama League for over a decade, and her elevation to this role simply lets the world see her incredible commitment to the next generation of artists for Broadway and beyond,” noted Artistic Director Gabriel Stelian-Shanks.  “As President, Bonnie will encounter a shifting theatrical landscape, recovering from a global shutdown and facing a complex future. Arts supporters and philanthropists must rally in this moment, and Bonnie is born to lead this charge. I am thrilled to have her expertise, wisdom, and enthusiasm in this singular moment of transformation.”

“Bonnie is uniquely qualified to lead our Board of Directors during this unprecedented moment,” says Executive Director Bevin Ross. “As an entrepreneur in live theater streaming, who is deeply connected within the theater community, she is the leader we need now as we look to the future of theater in America. We are facing a number of challenges as our industry re-builds, and Bonnie has stepped up with energy, creativity, a commitment to philanthropy, equity and the broadening of our network to better serve our artists. She is the ultimate hype-woman for our stage directors and the audiences we serve. I’m overjoyed to welcome her and the resources and talent she will draw to our organization and Board of Directors. It is going to be a thing of beauty to watch!”

The organization’s previous Board president, Stan Ponte, has stepped down after four years of serving the organization in the role, which is term-limited. Ponte led the Drama League through several milestones, including the development of its current strategic plan, the programmatic expansion of its annual festival DirectorFest, and the creation and execution of the Directors Emergency Relief Fund, which awarded over $40,000 in microgrants to dozens of directors early last year amidst a shutdown of stages across the country.

Comley’s unique skill set, a merging of theater prowess and technology, has proved invaluable to The Drama League over the course of the last 16 months as the organization’s programming is abundant with digital capture. Last month, The 87th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony took place virtually and celebrated theatermakers who created digital and socially-distanced work during the 2020-2021 season.  The organization also showcased the work of young directors across New York City in New Visions/New Voices does… Shorts. Both events are now viewable online at dramaleague.org. The Drama League will next premiere its 2021 DirectorFest Monday, June 7 online. The multi-week director-focused festival, which typically takes place in January, will highlight the work of the organization’s New York Directing Fellows. The four digitally captured shows - the bull-jean stories, The K of D, Unfuckwithable, and A Girl’s Bedroom - will premiere on The Drama League’s YouTube page on June 7, 9, 14, and 16 respectively. Each production will stream for one week. To learn more about DirectorFest, visit directorfest.org.