BIOGRAPHY
Shira Helena Gitlin (they/them) is a trans nonbinary director, deviser, dramaturg, gender consultant, and musical theatre enthusiast. Shira's primary goal as an artist is to create and participate in collaborative, positive environments that emphasize identity, intersectionality, and creativity. As a director, Shira is interested in pushing musical theatre to new limits and crafting new works that showcase 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent stories and histories.
Shira has directed for the National Women's Theatre Festival, Boston Playwrights' Theatre, Moonbox Productions, Flat Earth Theatre, Sparkhaven Theatre, Playwrights’ Platform, the Boston Theatre Marathon and more. Shira is a graduate of the Arden Professional Apprentice Class 26, was an Artistic Fellow at SpeakEasy Stage Company, and is an alumni of Directors Lab North in Toronto, Canada. They have a BA from Hampshire College in directing with an emphasis on musical theatre studies.
Shira also works as a gender consultant and has held Transgender Inclusion workshops for Dramatists Guild, Directors Lab North, and various theatres across the United States. They are a part of the Gender Explosion Initiative. They are currently gender consulting for two new musicals, Psyche and Millennials are Killing Musicals.
When they're not doing theatre, Shira can be found playing the banjo, doing arts & crafts, running around in the woods, and plane spotting.
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Proud member of Gender Explosion, Ring of Keys, and Director's Gathering
Shira uses they/them/theirs pronouns
Headshots by Mim Wu.
UPCOMING
"I move through the fear because it doesn't strike me that there is another option."