SDCF is thrilled to announce the creation of the Abe Burrows Award for Assistant Directors established by the James and Deborah Burrows Foundation. The Abe Burrows Award at SDCF is given annually to a director or director/choreographer who is working as an assistant director. This award comes with an unrestricted $10,000 award meant to be used to aid the awardee in whatever way allows them to fully focus on their assisting work.

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The award honors Abe Burrows, a Tony Award-winning director who cared deeply about fostering and supporting the next generation of directors. As a director and writer, Burrows is known for his work on How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, for which he won Tony Awards for Best Director, Best Book, and Best Musical, as well as the Pulitzer Prize with his collaborator Frank Loesser.  His additional Broadway credits include Guys and Dolls and Can-Can.

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To read more about the establishment of the Abe Burrows Award for Assistant Directors, please click here to read the press release.

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Applications are now open through February 26, 2024.  If you would like to preview the questions and/or fill out an application, you can do so in SlideRoom application portal here.

Application Timeline:

Thursday, January 11, 2024 – Applications open

Monday, February 26, 2024 – Applications close

May 2024 – Announcement of awardee

June 2024 – Earliest start time of the assistant directing opportunity (first rehearsal cannot start before 6/1/2024)

Eligibility & Process:

To qualify for this award:

  • You must serve as an assistant director at some point between June 2024 and December 2025
  • The production you assist for must be directed by an SDC Member in good standing
  • You do not need to have secured an assistant director opportunity by the deadline to apply for this award, but you must demonstrate and explain the steps you are taking at this time to secure such an opportunity in this time frame

If awarded, the funds will be made available to you in two payouts once you have confirmed your assistant director opportunity. SDCF will confirm the details of your assisting work with the producing theatre and will verify that this award is not being used to replace typical assistant director payment given by that organization.

About Abe Burrows:

Born December 18, 1910 in New York City, Abe Burrows graduated New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and later attended both City College and New York University. His career in radio and television writing began with This is New York (1938), followed by the Rudy Vallee Program (1940), Duffy’s Tavern (1940-1945), and the Abe Burrows’ Show (1946-1947). Burrows then turned to writing for the stage. Burrows wrote, doctored, or directed such shows as Guys and Dolls (1950); Make a Wish (1951); Two on the Aisle (1951); Three Wishes for Jamie (1952); Can-Can (1953):  Silk Stockings (1955); Say, Darling (1958); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961); Cactus Flower (1965); Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1966); Forty Carats (1970); Good News (1974 Revival); Four on a Garden (1971): and many others.  With his collaborator Frank Loesser, Burrows won a Pulitzer Prize for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, he won four Tony Awards.  Burrows died on May 17, 1985.