Rachel M. Stevens

Rachel M. Stevens' appointment as Visiting Assistant Professor of Acting in Musical Theatre begins on Aug. 15, 2023.

A director, developer, educator and acting coach originally from Philadelphia, Stevens has called New York City home for more than a decade. She was assistant director on the Broadway run of the Tony Award-winning musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. Her Off-Broadway credits include Smart Blonde (associate director, 59E59) and Preludes (assistant director, Lincoln Center Theater, LCT3), and her New York directing and devising credits include work with The Civilians' R&D Group, SheNYC Festival, NYMF, Theatre Now, TheaterWorksUSA and New York Film Academy.

Her regional credits include a production of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at American Repertory Theatre directed by Rachel Chavkin and The Bandstand at Paper Mill Playhouse directed by Andy Blankenbuehler, along with productions at Quantum Theatre, City Theatre Company and Front Porch Theatricals.

Stevens has also directed and taught at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, Oakland University. and Concordia College. Her teaching artist and guest lecturer experience includes work at University of the Arts, The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, Point Park University, Musical Theater College Auditions (MTCA), The Broadway Jr. Program, Upper Darby Summer Stage, Imagination Stage, Young Playwrights and ArtStream Access Theater.

Most recently, Stevens served on the musical theater faculty at Oakland University (Rochester, MI). In her role as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre, she directed mainstage, children’s theatre and the New Student Showcase. Stevens also served as faculty advisor for Oakland University’s inaugural Kaleidoscope Cabaret—featuring students of the global majority, she led as Chair of the DEI Committee for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance—and she spearheaded the direction for that university’s first ever sensory-friendly relaxed performance.

Stevens holds her BFA in Musical Theatre from Point Park University, her MFA from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and is a proud SDC associate.

Her artistry stems from her commitment to the Hebrew adage of "Tikkun Olam," or "to repair the world." Her guiding purpose as a director, educator and mentor is to cultivate brave spaces where artists can unabashedly create from their authentic selves, collaborate from a place of trust and lead with compassion.