OUR MISSION
SDCF celebrates, develops, and supports professional Stage Directors and Choreographers throughout every phase of their careers. We work to build a collaborative and vibrant theatrical community by creating opportunities for artists of all background to bring their full, authentic selves to their work as creative leaders in the theatre
OUR PURPOSE
SDCF is dedicated to providing support, mentorship, and recognition to directors and choreographers through all stages of their career. Our mission is to create a pipeline for all artists that starts with the craft and ends in a legacy. Because the work can often feel isolating, SDCF events and programs are designed to offer access, opportunity, and community.
OUR COMMITMENT
Since 1965, Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation has been committed to providing financial and educational resources to directors and choreographers. SDCF is also notably the only service foundation in the U.S with the sole purpose of providing such resources to directors and choreographers.
OUR HISTORY
It all started in 1959, when SDC was founded by director Shepard Traube along with a small group of theatrical luminaries who united to create a labor union devoted to protecting stage directors and choreographers, and would grow to represent over 3,500 directors and choreographers working in theatres across the United States and internationally.
From its inception, the SDC founders articulated in the Society’s credo a commitment to:
In 1965, to further this credo—the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation was founded.
Under the leadership of Foundation President Aaron Frankel, SDCF embarked on a path to honor artistic achievement and to build the philanthropic support necessary to sustain the Foundation’s essential programs.
- Access: To be for all, open to all projects which helpfully serve creative needs and further continuing artistic and professional education.
- Connection: To provide a place where talent may freely exercise itself on material or in ways which commercial opportunity may not be made available, and where the liberty to fail shall be provided.
- Legacy: Be a primary benefit of professional directors and choreographers through the arc of their careers.
Frankel helped establish an important tradition of celebrating achievement while raising the funds necessary to sustain the Foundation’s work, such as a lifetime achievement recognition such as the “Mr. Abbott” Award honored influential artists while generating critical support for programs and initiatives that serve the field.
As the Foundation evolved, it remained artist-led, governed by a board of trustees composed of directors, choreographers, and industry leaders.
Today, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation is the only organization in the United States solely dedicated to supporting stage directors and choreographers at every stage of their careers. Building on its founding principles, SDCF works to celebrate, develop, and sustain the field through a wide range of programs, including residencies, professional development opportunities, public conversations, and awards that honor artistic excellence.
SDCF has remained steadfast in its purpose: to champion the artistry, growth, and community of stage directors and choreographers, and to ensure that their work continues to shape the future of theatre.