Biography
MAY ADRALES is a freelance director and teacher based in New York city. She helmed the world premieres of VIETGONE at South Coast Rep, LUCE at LCT3, EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM at Actors Theater of Louisville, after all the terrible things I do at Milwaukee Rep; MARY at The Goodman Theatre, IN THIS HOUSE at Two River Theater Company; Qui Nguyen's Five Days Till Saturday (NYU Tisch) Richard Dresser's TROUBLE COMETH at San Francisco Playhouse; and Katori Hall’s WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! at Williamstown Theater Festival. Recent Productions: Stefanie Zadrevec’s ELECTRIC BABY (Two River Theater) and David Henry Hwang’s DANCE AND THE RAILROAD (Signature Theatre and Wuzhen International Theater Festival); David Henry Hwang's CHINGLISH (Portland Center Stage and Syracuse Stage); Daniel Beaty's Breath and Imagination (Cleveland Playhouse); IN THE NEXT ROOM (Syracuse Stage); and DEATHTRAP (Pioneer Theater). Most recent: Qui Nguyen's VIETGONE at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Kimber Lee's TOKYO FISH STORY at Old Globe Theatre and Chisa Hutchinson's A Wedding Gift at Contemporary American Theater Festival. Upcoming: Qui Nguyen's VIETGONE at Manhattan Theater Club and Seattle Rep; DISGRACED at Syracuse Stage and Imani Uzuri and Zakiyyah Alexander's girl shakes loose at Penumbra Theater.
Her off-Broadway credits include Lauren Yee’s CHING CHONG CHINAMAN at Pan Asian Rep; Thomas Bradshaw’s THE BEREAVED (Top Ten of 2009, Time Out) at Partial Comfort Productions; Tommy Smith’s THE WIFE at Access Theater; Lisa Ramirez’s EXIT CUCKOO (Best Solo Performance) at Midtown International Theater Festival; and Anton Dudley’s COLD HARD CASH at Williamstown. She directed Dael Orlandersmith’s YELLOWMAN and Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP at Milwaukee Rep; Kristin Newbom and David Hancock's world premiere of OUR LOT at Clubbed Thumb; and Betty Shamieh’s world premiere THE STRANGEST at Here Arts Center. She has directed work at nationally renowned theaters -- The Public Theater, Second Stage Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, South Coast Rep, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theater Festival, Partial Comfort Productions and Long Wharf Theatre.
She served as Director of On Site Programming at the Lark Play Development Center (2008-2010), developing programs to support and nurture over 200 playwrights. She served as an Artistic Associate at The Public Theater (2006-2009), spearheading the Shakespeare Lab, a professional conservatory, and overseeing community engagement programs in the outer boroughs. She also produced and oversaw the Shakespeare Mobile Unit in 2007 and 2008. She has worked with several high school and middle school students in Shakespeare workshops and productions through The Public Theater and Epic Theater Ensemble.
Adrales is the recipient of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s inaugural Denham Fellowship and the Paul Green Emerging Directing award. She is a recipient of a TCG New Generations grant. She has been awarded directing fellowships at New York Theater Workshop; Women's Project; SoHo Rep; and The Drama League. She is a proud Artistic Associate at Milwaukee Rep. She has directed and taught at NYU, Juilliard, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theater, Fordham University and Bard College. She served as a faculty member for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab (2006-2009). She is on faculty at Einhorn School of Performing Arts at Primary Stages and taught Directing Shakespeare at Brown/Trinity MFA program. Adrales is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and currently serves on faculty.
May is a first generation Filipina American. She grew up in southwest Virginia with her three sisters JoAnn, Gina and Tricia and had a backyard full of chickens, pheasant and dogs. Her father, Dr. Mamerto B. Adrales, a general surgeon and her mother, Jocelyn Divinagracia Adrales, a nurse, established a home and successful family practice in Covington, VA. She is a lover of ice cream and balances this love with a passion for running and marathon racing. She currently lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Her off-Broadway credits include Lauren Yee’s CHING CHONG CHINAMAN at Pan Asian Rep; Thomas Bradshaw’s THE BEREAVED (Top Ten of 2009, Time Out) at Partial Comfort Productions; Tommy Smith’s THE WIFE at Access Theater; Lisa Ramirez’s EXIT CUCKOO (Best Solo Performance) at Midtown International Theater Festival; and Anton Dudley’s COLD HARD CASH at Williamstown. She directed Dael Orlandersmith’s YELLOWMAN and Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP at Milwaukee Rep; Kristin Newbom and David Hancock's world premiere of OUR LOT at Clubbed Thumb; and Betty Shamieh’s world premiere THE STRANGEST at Here Arts Center. She has directed work at nationally renowned theaters -- The Public Theater, Second Stage Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, South Coast Rep, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theater Festival, Partial Comfort Productions and Long Wharf Theatre.
She served as Director of On Site Programming at the Lark Play Development Center (2008-2010), developing programs to support and nurture over 200 playwrights. She served as an Artistic Associate at The Public Theater (2006-2009), spearheading the Shakespeare Lab, a professional conservatory, and overseeing community engagement programs in the outer boroughs. She also produced and oversaw the Shakespeare Mobile Unit in 2007 and 2008. She has worked with several high school and middle school students in Shakespeare workshops and productions through The Public Theater and Epic Theater Ensemble.
Adrales is the recipient of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation’s inaugural Denham Fellowship and the Paul Green Emerging Directing award. She is a recipient of a TCG New Generations grant. She has been awarded directing fellowships at New York Theater Workshop; Women's Project; SoHo Rep; and The Drama League. She is a proud Artistic Associate at Milwaukee Rep. She has directed and taught at NYU, Juilliard, American Conservatory Theater, American Repertory Theater, Fordham University and Bard College. She served as a faculty member for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab (2006-2009). She is on faculty at Einhorn School of Performing Arts at Primary Stages and taught Directing Shakespeare at Brown/Trinity MFA program. Adrales is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and currently serves on faculty.
May is a first generation Filipina American. She grew up in southwest Virginia with her three sisters JoAnn, Gina and Tricia and had a backyard full of chickens, pheasant and dogs. Her father, Dr. Mamerto B. Adrales, a general surgeon and her mother, Jocelyn Divinagracia Adrales, a nurse, established a home and successful family practice in Covington, VA. She is a lover of ice cream and balances this love with a passion for running and marathon racing. She currently lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
