Arthur Adair
Associate Professor, Theatre
My work focuses on the the history, development, & preservation of Off-Off Broadway, primarily at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Member: Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), The Dramatists Guild of America (DG).
Website
Education
- City University of New York, Brooklyn College, M.F.A., Theatre Directing, 2006.
State University of New York, Old Westbury, B.A., Communicative & Creative Arts, 1995.
Publications
Adair, Arthur, “Study Guide: H.M. Koutoukas’ Medea of the Laundromat.” CUNY Academic Commons. Fall 2024.
https://koutoukasmedea.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
Adair, Arthur, et al. “CUNY Learning Mindsets Modules for Student Success.” City University of New York, Central Faculty Affairs/CUNY Innovative Teaching Academy. CUNY Academic Commons. Spring 2024. https://learningmindsets.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
Projects
- “Medea of the Laundromat” by H.M. Koutoukas. Directed by Arthur Adair. Produced by La MaMa, in Association with Lucille Lortel Theatre. Actors’ Equity Association Off-Broadway Agreement. The Club, La MaMa, New York, NY. 12-22 June, 2025. Director. Dramaturg. Set Designer. Sound Designer.
“Medea” by Andrei Serban and Elizabeth Swados.Directed by Zishan Ugurlu. Musical Direction by Bill Ruyle. Produced by La MaMa, with the Great Jones Repertory Company, in Association with CultureHub, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Club, La MaMa, New York, NY and LiveLab Broadcaster Livestream. 11-28 April 2024. Actor.
“The Trojan Women” by Andrei Serban and Elizabeth Swados.Directed by Andrei Serban. Musical Direction by Bill Ruyle. Produced by La MaMa, with the Great Jones Repertory Company, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa, New York, NY. 5-15 Dec. 2019. Actor.
“BALLS” by Paul Foster. [Immersive digital multi-media installation]. Created by CultureHub. Directed by Arthur Adair. Produced by CultureHub, in Association with La MaMa, and the Great Jones Repertory Company. CultureHub, New York, NY. 14-24 June 2019. Director.
“Left Out” by Robert Patrick.[Interactive VR installation]. Created by CultureHub. Produced by CultureHub, in Association with La MaMa. CultureHub, New York, NY. 24-25 May 2019. Actor.
“Chasing the New White Whale” by Mike Gorman. Directed by Arthur Adair. Produced by La MaMa, with The Forty Hour Club. Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa, New York, NY. 24 Nov.-9 Dec. 2018. Director.
“Pylade” by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Director Ivica Buljan. Musical Direction by Michael Sirotta. Produced by La MaMa, with the Great Jones Repertory Company, and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Ellen Stewart Theatre, La MaMa, New York, NY. 3-18 Dec. 2015. Assistant Director.
“Your War’try Grave” by Arthur Adair. Directed by Arthur Adair. Musical Direction by Richard Cohen. The Club, La MaMa, New York, NY. 12-21 June 2015. Playwright. Director. Set Design. Light Design.
Grants
PSC-CUNY Research Award (Traditional B) Cycle 56, 2025-26. $6,000.00. “Arts Fun House.” Contributed to the preservation of the history & development of Off-Off Broadway through two offerings: my new short play, “DAMN’d,” & the one act play, “BALLS,” written by Paul Foster in 1964. Presented at “Creatures: Prophets of Compassion (a festival of art, science, & spirit).” La MaMa, New York, NY. 23 Oct.-2 Nov. 2025.
CUNY Fellowship Award for Creative Work. Fall 2025. One-Semester Leave at 100% Pay. Served as festival coordinator for the two-week international performing & fine arts festival, “Creatures: Prophets of Compassion (a festival of art, science, & spirit);” a full residency of La MaMa’s flagship building, 74A East 4th St., NY, NY 10003, with further contributions as director and playwright.
NYS/CUNY OER Grant Project (Cohort VII): 2023-24. $2,000.00. “Theatre, As You Like It.” Created & implemented an OER resource for students of the course, TH-111, Introduction to Theatre (Pathways II.C.).
PSC-CUNY Research Award (Enhanced) Cycle 52, 2020-21. $12,000.00. “74A.” Contributed to the preservation of the history & development of Off-Off Broadway by telling the story of La MaMa’s flagship building, 74A East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003.
CUNY Academy for the Humanities and Sciences William Stewart Travel Award Grant, 2016-17. $500.00. “A Call for the Return to the Spirit in Western Actor Training.” 8th Annual International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, Athens Institute for Education and Research, Athens, Greece. 29 May 2017.
