Melia Bensussen

Professor Melia Bensussen is a theater director affiliated with Emerson College in Boston, MA. Her career spans extensive work across major stages in the U.S., with notable contributions to world premieres and Shakespearean productions. She earned a B.A. from Brown University.

• Recipient of OBIE Award for Outstanding Direction
• Double Directing Award winner and Statuette Award honoree from the Princess Grace Foundation, USA
• Collaborated with playwrights like Tony Kushner and Jonathan Larson

Her research and practice focus on contemporary theater direction, Shakespearean adaptations, and innovative staging of new works. She is recognized for her expertise in bringing emerging playwrights' visions to life and for her editorial work on Langston Hughes' translation of Garcia Lorca's Blood Wedding.

Notable Works

Directed world premieres of plays by Kirsten Greenidge, Alan Ball, and Lee Blessing, among others. Her production of Twelfth Night at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival was documented in academic publications.