Daniel Leeman Smith

Associate Member SDC | Member DGA

dleeman@me.com * 405-613-9521

Film:

  • Distant Vision/ASM & 2nd Unit Production Manager/Dir. Francis Ford Coppola/Producer Jenny Gersten/Live Cinema Playhouse

Playwriting:

  • Perhaps the World Ends Here (commissioned as a screenplay by Local Classic Repertory in 2020, commissioned as an adapted stage play by NYU Tisch Drama Stage in 2023)

Directing: 

  • Diné Nishłį (i am a sacred being) Or A Boarding School Play by Blossom Johnson/Alter Theater Ensemble & U.C. Berkeley/Berkeley, CA/2024

  • Dark Earth by Blossom Johnson/New Native Play Festival @ Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program/New Haven, CT/2024*

  • Perhaps the World Ends Here by Daniel Leeman Smith/NYU Tisch School of the Arts/New York, NY/2024

  • Yu Che Wah Kenh by Vickie Ramirez/New Native Play Festival @ Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program/New Haven, CT/2023*

  • The Mystery of the Cardboard Man by Adam Savage, Ellen Horne, Daniel Leeman Smith, Lizzie Leach, Wendy Zhang, & Derek Mulkins/New York University @ the Midnight Theatre/New York, NY/2023

  • Patchworked: A Play by Timothy Jones/Wilkes University @ ART/NY/New York, NY/2022*

  • Built on Bones by Tomas Endter/New Native Play Festival @ Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program/New Haven, CT/2022*

  • Poyvfekcv by Tara Moses/New Native Play Festival @ Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program/New Haven, CT/2022*

  • Repulsing the Monkey by Michael Eichler/Eichler Plays @ White Horse Tavern FiDi/New York, NY/2021

  • The Bathrobe Club a new play by Adam Davies, developmental staged reading/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2018*

  • Pry the Lid Off devised using the visual art and stories of Summer Wheat/Co-Directed/Oklahoma Contemporary Arts & OKC Ballet/Oklahoma City, OK/2016

  • Jackie by Elfriede Jelinek/Co-Directed/The Marshall Experimental Company/Oklahoma City, OK/2015

  • The Hospice by Mark Henricksen/Theatre Collective/Oklahoma City, OK/2011

  • The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later/Oklahoma City University & Tectonic Theatre Project/World Premiere/Oklahoma City, OK/2009

  • Broadway Fun for Funds/Oklahoma City University (created, produced, and directed a musical theatre, drag, and burlesque cabaret benefiting local HIV and LGBTQ charities)/Oklahoma City, OK/2009 & 2010

*developmental reading

Dramaturgy:

  • Stories of the Land by Madeline Sayet, Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, Madeleine Hutchins, & Candyce Testa/Long Wharf Theatre @ The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center/Waterford, CT/2024*

  • Chicago: Pigeon by Dillon Chitto/New Native Play Festival @ Yale Performing Arts Program/New Haven, CT/2024*

  • The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams/Oklahoma City Repertory/2008

    *script development dramaturg

Digital Theatre:

  • Neechie-Itas by Jo MacDonald (Anishinaabe)/AD & Cinematographer/Oklahoma Indigenous Theatre Company/Oklahoma City, OK; Vancouver, BC; Tampa, FL; London, UK, Oklahoma City, OK/2021

  • Perhaps the World Ends Here by Daniel Leeman Smith/Writer, Director, Editor/Local Classic Repertory/Slippery Rock, PA/2020

  • Your Lips Are Moving But There’s No Sound by Jess Honovich/Production Stage Manager/New York University/New York, NY/2020

Movement Directing:

  • The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare/Dir. Amy Cordileone/New York University/New York, NY/2019

  • Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn/Dir. Brian D. Parsons/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2017

Associate Directing:

  • Ajijaak on Turtle Island by Ty Defoe/Dir. Jen Olivares/Green Feather Foundation, Heather Henson, & Brierpatch Productions/Puppetry by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop/National Tour/2023

  • Where We Belong by Madeline Sayet/Dir. Mei Ann Teo/The Public Theater & Woolly Mammoth Theatre @ LuEsther Hall, The Public/New York, NY/2022

  • Flying Bird’s Diary by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel/Dir. Madeline Sayet/Long Wharf Theatre/New Haven, CT/2022

  • The Music Man in Concert by Meredith Wilson/Dir. Harry Parker/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2018

  • Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn/Dir. Brian D. Parsons/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2017

  • Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice/Dir. Michael Jones/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2015

  • Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang/Dir. Michael Jones/Oklahoma City Repertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2014

  • November by David Mamet/Dir. Michael Jones/OklahomaCityRepertory/Oklahoma City, OK/2012

Text Coaching:

  • The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare/Dir. Amy Cordileone/New York University/New York, NY/2019

Educational Theatre Directing:

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2019

  • Urinetown: The Musical book and lyrics by Greg Kotis with music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2019

  • The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow by Rolin Jones/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2018

  • James and the Giant Peach book by Timothy Allen McDonald with music and lyrics by Benjamin Pasek and Justin Paul/Putnam City Original, Oklahoma City, OK/Upcoming 2018

  • The Most Massive Woman Wins by Madeleine George/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2017

  • The Wiz book by William F. Brown with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2017

  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016

  • Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016

  • The Odd Couple by Neil Simon/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016

  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Rachel Sheinkin & William Finn/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2016

  • The Amish Project by Jessica Dickey/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2015

  • Cinderella by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2015

  • Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2014

  • The Proposal by Anton Chekhov, Carol Rocamora translation/Putnam City Original/Oklahoma City, OK/2014

Stage & Production Management:

  • Scissortail by Isaiah Werner (Jeff Recommended) Oklahoma premier/Producer/Fresh Paint Performance Lab/Oklahoma City, OK/Upcoming 2018

  • 2017 NYC Pride March/Talent Manager/New York City, NY/worked closely with key management, Bianca Del Rio, Dina Delicious, Michelle Visage, and others to ensure that the first television broadcast of the NYC Pride March went smoothly.

  • 2015 NYC Pride Festival/Production Stage Manager/New York City, NY/worked closely with Bianca Del Rio and Dina Delicious to produce festival show

  • 2015 NYC Pride Rally/Talent Manager/New York City, NY/worked with artists and representation regarding issuing and execution of artist contracts, as well as day of fulfillment. Artists include Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Derek Jacobi, Tituss Burgess, Adore Delano, Steve Grand, Dina Delicious, and Ashanti.

  • 2014 NYC Pride Rally/Talent Manager/New York City, NY/worked with artists and representation regarding issuing and execution of artist contracts, as well as day of fulfillment. Artists include Susan Sarandon, Laverne Cox, Demi Lovato, Betty Who, Sharon Needles, and Michelle Visage.

Selected Acting:

  • The Ferry Play by Jessi Bear/Man on Cell Phone, Lover 1/Director: Erin Mee/This Is Not A Theatre Company/New York, NY

  • This Is How I Don't Know How To Dance devised by SITI Conservatory/Adele/Director: Leon Ingulsrud/SITI Company/New York, NY

Honors:

  • Nancy and Lowell Swortzell Scholar, 2020 & 2021/NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, Program in Educational Theatre/Selected for outstanding work in the field of theatre education.

  • New York City Pride Award, 2014/Heritage of Pride, Inc/Philanthropic and volunteer work as talent manager for NYC Pride Rally featuring Susan Sarandon, Laverne Cox, Demi Lovato, and others.

  • Graduate Leadership Scholar, 2013/Oklahoma City University/Selected for outstanding leadership in arts and education.

  • American Indian Scholar, 2006-2010/Oklahoma City University/Selected as one of ten scholars from native tribal communities to receive a full-tuition scholarship contingent upon service to the community and academic achievement.

Education:

  • Doctor of Education/New York University/New York, NY/2024 EdD in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities in the Applied Theatre track. Dissertation: Stories of My People and Me: Restoring Kinship Through Theatre: How Indigenous Approaches to Theatre-Making Can Reduce Workplace Harm

  • Directors Lab/Lincoln Center Theater/Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts/New York, NY/2017 Cohort focused on creating theatre during times of change.

  • Teaching Artist Development Lab/Lincoln Center Education/Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts/New York, NY/2016 Training in Aesthetic Education and Lincoln Center Education's teaching artist guidelines and process for imaginative learning; using the arts to improve the achievement gap in American schools and welcoming the public into "the art club."

  • Post Graduate/SITI Conservatory/New York, NY/2014 Post-graduate studies in theatre emphasizing devised and physical theatre. Studied with Co-Artistic Directors Anne Bogart, Ellen Lauren, and Leon Ingulsrud, as well as members of the company. Workshops with Mary Overlie, Tina Landau, Robert Woodruff, Charles Mee, Darron West, and Miki Orihara.

  • Master of Arts/Oklahoma City University/Oklahoma City, OK/2013 Applied Sociology-Nonprofit Leadership with honors. Emphasis in arts administration.

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts/Oklahoma City University/Oklahoma City, OK/2010 Acting and Minor in Directing Cum Laude. Emphasis in classical texts.