Peter Flynn: First American Director in History to Stage a New Musical in South Africa

Peter Flynn, Associate Professor in the Theatre and Dance Department, will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, to direct the premiere of the new musical Calling Us Home by Alice Gillham at the Artscape Performing Arts Center. He is the first American director in history to stage a new musical in South Africa.

Mr. Flynn is an award-winning director, writer, and educator who has created two educational programs and several new musicals. Formerly the Director of Musical Theatre at Stella Adler Conservatory, he created curricula integrating training for the singing actor with the Adler acting philosophy. Mr. Flynn is the former Artistic Director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY, as well as the Founding Artistic Director of the Perry-Mansfield New Works Festival in Steamboat Springs, CO. Partnerships with industry professionals include Stephen Schwartz, Jeanine Tesori, and Adam Bock with young artists from around the country.

During the pandemic, Peter directed two acclaimed virtual productions. The first, a filmed performance of Theresa Rebeck’s Bad Dates for the George St. Playhouse, garnered several Broadway World Award nominations including Best Director, and Best Actor (Andréa Burns). The second, a completely re-conceived version of Stephen Schwartz’s Working for Montclair State University, which included new monologues based on interviews with frontline and essential workers.