2022 Directors
Justin Anderson is an Atlanta-based storyteller, director and educator whose work has been seen at Horizon Theatre Company with A Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time, The City of Conversation (Suzi Award for Best Production of a Play), and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. He was the Associate Artistic Director at Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, Georgia for many years, directing numerous productions there and around the Southeast. While studying directing at Rutgers University, Justin had the privilege to work with Amy Saltz, Pam Berlin, William Carden, and Deborah Headwall. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Campbell University and an M.A. in Theatre Studies from Regent University. Justin is also a part-time faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University. Along with his partner, Michael Crute, Justin co-founded The Welcome Home Atlanta Team, powered by Keller Williams First Atlanta, and is using the platform of real estate to help clients write the next best chapter of their stories through selling, buying, education and wealth-building. Visit www.welcomehomeatlanta.com for more information.
Teresa Leggard (she/her) is a Brooklyn-born, Jersey-raised, Midwest transplant with a B.A. from Spelman College and an MFA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her directing credits include Ontario Was Here (Lied Center of Kansas – University of Kansas); Pipeline (The Unicorn Theatre); Pass Over (Olathe Civic Theatre); The Green Book Wine Club Train Trip and Single Black Female (KC Melting Pot Theatre); Every 28 Hours (Fishtank Theatre); Gumbo House (Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, independent production); as well as staged readings for The Unicorn Theatre, Midwest Dramatist Center, Westport Center for the Arts, Olathe Civic Theatre, and Johnson County Heritage Center.
Melanie Martin Long has worked as a director, writer, script developer and actor for several Atlanta theatre companies, including Georgia Shakespeare, Theatre in the Square, Alliance Children’s Theatre, Jewish Theatre of the South, Georgia Ensemble, Theatrical Outfit, and Theatre Emory. Before coming to Atlanta in 2005, Melanie was Artistic Associate at the Lark Play Development Center in New York, where she produced its highly acclaimed Playwrights Workshop with Arthur Kopit. As an award-winning director and adapter, she has guided more than thirty productions at the Off-Broadway, regional and collegiate levels. Publications: “Mastering Stage Presence” DVD series for The Great Courses, The Frog Prince (Book and Lyrics with composer James Woodward), and annotations of Julius Caesar and The Tempest. Memberships: Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Yoga Alliance (RT-200). Education: BA Theatre and English – William and Mary; MFA Directing University of Minnesota. Melanie has taught Voice and Body for the Alliance Theatre and Actors Express, and conducts workshops on stage presence for presenters in all fields.