Christopher McElroen

CHRISTOPHER MCELROEN (Adapter and Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of the american vicarious. Previously, he co-founded the Classical Theatre of Harlem, where from 1999 to 2009, he oversaw 41 productions yielding 18 AUDELCO Awards, 6 OBIE Awards, 2 Lucille Lortel Awards, and a Drama Desk Award. Christopher’s recent projects include DEBATE: BALDWIN VS BUCKLEY (2022) and STATIC APNEA (2020), which were both listed as “Highbrow and Brilliant” in New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix, and Broadway World said “the american vicarious is on my list of must see theatre companies.” In collaboration with six-time Grammy Award nominee Gerald Clayton, Christopher developed and directed PIEDMONT BLUES: A SEARCH FOR SALVATION, which was presented at Harlem Stage in June 2022. Christopher received a 2013 Helen Hayes Award for his direction of the world premiere stage adaptation of Ralph Ellison’s iconic novel INVISIBLE MAN. Christopher had the honor of directing 51ST (DREAM) STATE, the final work of poet, musician, and activist Sekou Sundiata, which premiered at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. Alongside visual artist Paul Chan, actor Wendell Pierce, and Creative Time, Christopher co-produced and directed WAITING FOR GODOT in New Orleans, a year-long community development through the arts initiative in post-Katrina New Orleans. The archives from the production were acquired into the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).