Rachel Alderman

Rachel Alderman is a director, producer and co-creator of theater experiences who is fiercely committed to building ensemble onstage and off. She is the new Associate Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, joining at a time of radical transformation as the company departs its physical home of 50+ years to embrace a thrilling new model of producing work embedded in the community across Greater New Haven. Previously, she contributed to the artistic health and growth of Hartford Stage under the leadership of Michael Wilson, Hana Sharif, Darko Tresjnak, Elizabeth Williamson and, most recently, Melia Bensussen. As Artistic Producer, Rachel was an integral part of the leadership team that shepherded Hartford Stage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, producing and creating a variety of virtual and socially distant programming, as well as reopening with the successful Raise the Curtain 2021-22 season. Rachel is a founding ensemble member of the award-winning A Broken Umbrella Theatre with whom she has collectively devised original, site-specific theater inspired by the history of New Haven, CT for over a decade. In 2013, she was awarded the Denham Fellowship from the SDC Foundation in support of Broken Umbrella’s celebrated musical Freewheelers.

As a director, her work at Hartford Stage includes Lost In Yonkers (co-directed and starring Marsha Mason, nominated for 8 CT Critics Circle Awards), It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (co-directed with Melia Bensussen), A Community Carol (virtual, featuring the artistic contributions of over 80 multi-generational participants), A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas, and Cry It Out. As Associate Director to Michael Wilson, she traveled to The Alley Theater, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, The Huntington Theater and The Old Globe. Prior to working at Hartford Stage, Rachel spent 4 seasons at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas and worked with such companies as Collective Consciousness Theater, Elm Shakespeare Company, Emerald City Theatre Company, HartBeat Ensemble and Northlight Theatre. Rachel is a member of SDC and a graduate of Muhlenberg College. She lives in New Haven with her husband, 2 kids, a dog and (as of this writing) 2 Betta fish.