Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship

Honoring a Great Artist

The death of Goodman Associate Artistic Director Michael Maggio, on August 19, 2000, robbed the American theater of one of its most articulate and versatile directors. As the veteran of more than 60 productions in theaters around the country, Michael was a consummate artist who was equally at home in nearly any dramatic genre, from new plays to classics, grand scale musicals to intimate realistic dramas. The list of his Goodman Theatre credits recalls some of the most acclaimed productions in the theater’s recent history: a landmark Romeo and Juliet, set in Chicago’s Little Italy in 1919; the sumptuous Sondheim musicals Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music; the frantic comedy of Keith Reddin’s Black Snow; the haunting beauty of the musical adaptation of Wings; and the much-lauded world premiere of Rebecca Gilman’s Boy Gets Girl. But there were some common elements to all of his work: a fascination with the human condition in all of its guises; an unerring grace and intelligence; and the passionate belief in the power of the theater to illuminate and transform. Michael directed a total of 22 productions at the Goodman, making him the most-produced director in the theater’s modern era. In addition to his duties at Goodman, he served as the Dean of The Theatre School at DePaul University, which gave him the chance to pass his passion for excellence and his generosity of spirit on to another generation.

In recognition of Michael’s artistry and his dedication to nurturing young artists, Goodman Theatre established the annual Michael Maggio Fellowship. The Maggio Fellow is an emerging career Chicago-based director, who is selected by a panel made up of Goodman artistic staff, Chicago artists, and the current Maggio Fellow.

About the Fellowship

The Goodman is now accepting applications for the 2025/2026 Michael Maggio Directing Fellowship. The submission deadline is Thursday, February 20, 2025. Please note, this Fellowship has expanded to a full-time, year-long, salaried, artistic administrative position starting in August. This position is primarily in-person with some remote options when not actively involved in a production.

The Fellow joins the artistic staff, with responsibilities that range from administrative tasks; assistant directing or other creative roles on Main Stage productions; reading and responding to script submissions; and supporting and leading producing teams for engagement events, readings, and festivals. The Maggio Fellow will also work with the Northwestern Directing Fellow to produce events that engage local directors and designers and attend locally produced work, as schedules allow, to bring local directors and designers to the theatre’s attention.

The Fellow will be intentionally mentored and supervised by the BOLD Artistic Producer and will have opportunities to work with other artistic and administrative leaders. They will have an opportunity to engage each milestone of all productions during their residency while balancing the administrative arm of a large regional theatre’s Artistic Department.

Compensation is $45,000 annually (full-time, exempt) with employee benefits.

How to Apply and Selection Process

Applicants must be Chicago-based directors who have directed at least two professional (non-academic) full productions.

To apply for the Fellowship, please submit the following in separate pdf files with the applicant’s last name, first name and file description (i.e. “Doe-Jane-RecLetter2.pdf.”):

• A resume with directing and other artistic and administrative experience.

• Selected reviews of previous work (if available).

• At least two letters of recommendation from theater professionals or educators who are familiar with the applicant’s work.

• An artistic statement (no longer than one page) that describes the applicant’s artistic approach, producing interest or experience, and how the Fellowship at the Goodman could help the applicant achieve their artistic goals.

• Please include any scheduled conflicts from August 1,2025-August 31, 2026, and indicate which conflicts are immoveable. Some conflicts may be accommodated.

Please apply to the fellowship through this link. If you have any questions, please reach out to lenaromano@goodmantheatre.org.

The selection committee will review submissions and conduct interviews with the top ten candidates. A second round of interviews will occur with Susan Booth (Goodman Artistic Director), Malkia Stampley (Goodman Artistic Producer), and Adam Belcuore (Goodman Managing Producer). We are hoping to select the 2025-2026 Maggio Directing Fellow by April. The Fellowship will start at the beginning of August 2025 and commence at the end of August 2026. Exact dates to be determined.