Jean Randich

Jean Randich is an award-winning Professor of Drama at Bennington College, where she has taught since 1995, and at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts since 2004. As co-founder and co-artistic director of Collider Theater in New York City (established 2015), she bridges academic and professional theater worlds through her work exploring cultural collisions and cross-cultural narratives.

Her educational background includes an MFA from Yale School of Drama, an MA in Creative Writing from Brown University, and a BA magna cum laude in English and American Literature from Brown University. This strong academic foundation informs her multifaceted approach to theater as both an educator and practitioner.

Randich's creative work centers on innovative approaches to directing, with particular focus on new works development, musical theater, opera, and feminist reinterpretations of classics. Her directing portfolio spans contemporary plays, adaptations of classic texts, and original works that challenge conventional theatrical boundaries. She has developed a distinctive style that emphasizes cultural intersections, with recent work exploring Asian and Black American women in jazz, feminist adaptations of Grimm's fairy tales, and cross-cultural narratives set in the Amazon rainforest.

Her fifteen most recent works reveal a consistent pattern of engagement with social issues, cultural identity, and innovative theatrical forms. Randich frequently collaborates with playwrights to develop new works while also bringing fresh perspectives to established texts, often employing color-blind casting and interdisciplinary approaches that incorporate music, visual art, and multimedia elements.

• NEA/TCG Director Fellowship
• Fox Foundation Grant ($10,000)
• Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Grant
• Mabou Mines Residency
• Best Drama Award (NY International Fringe Festival, 2000)
• United Solo Festival Award for Best Adaptation (2013)
• Finalist for LA Press Club National Journalism Award (2013)
• Nominated for Connecticut Broadway World Award (2018)

Randich has mentored numerous emerging theater artists through her teaching positions and professional productions. Her Collider Theater serves as both a creative laboratory and performance venue dedicated to work exploring cultural collisions. The company has developed a reading series of underrepresented voices and produced innovative new works that challenge conventional theatrical boundaries. Randich's approach to directing emphasizes collaborative creation, with particular attention to how cultural differences can create productive artistic tension. Her work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations with composers, visual artists, and scholars across multiple fields.