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All Stars Project Establishes Artistic Advisory Council to Enhance Youth Programs

The newly formed council will underscore the organization's strengthened commitment to artistic growth and youth development initiatives.

American Theatre·Jun 11, 2026·via American Theatre

All Stars Project Establishes Artistic Advisory Council to Enhance Youth Programs

Untitled May 2026 workshop. (Photo courtesy of All Stars Project)

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June 11, 2026 American Theatre Editors Leave a comment

All Stars Project Launches Artistic Advisory Council

The new council will highlight the organization’s emboldened efforts towards artistic advancement and youth development.

By American Theatre Editors

NEW YORK CITY: All Star Projects , the national nonprofit dedicated to youth development through free extracurricular performance-centric programs, launched an Artistic Advisor Council for ASP’s Performance Lab (PLab). The advisory council will work at the organization’s New York City multi-theatre performance center on West 42nd Street, and will include four members who have worked on and Off Broadway, as well as Off-Off Broadway. The council will be chaired by Gabrielle L. Kurlander, who along with her work as an actor, director, and producer, founded PLab and served as the CEO of ASAP from 1989 to 2023. The other members of the council include actor/director Madelyn Chapman, actor/playwright Reynaldo Piniella, and actor/producer John Rankin III.

“We are thrilled to be creating a new cultural home where theatre artists and creatives can challenge boundaries and spark new possibilities through performance,” said Kurlander in a statement. “At a moment when the nonprofit theatres and their development programs for theatre artists are disappearing from New York, the All Stars is doubling down on its investment in theatrical performance as a catalyst for human creativity, connection and community building.”

Previously Piniella and Chapman co-launched Untitled, a monthly play-reading series and playwriting intensive sponsored by PLab, which has been responsible for more than 35 plays and involved over 200 actors.

Kurlander is a lifelong theatre artist who has directed over 50 productions, and received six AUDELCO Awards, which recognize excellence in African American theatre in New York. These awards include Outstanding Director for the musical Sally & Tom (The American Way) . In 2023, Kurlander received the Humanitarian and Social Justice Advocacy Award from Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre.

Chapman is a founding member of the Castillo Theatre. Previously, she trained at Drama Studio London and worked for decades as a performer, director, producer and teacher. Her most recent projects include Lost Sock Laundry by Ivan Faute at UP Theatre and acting in Sheltered by Cate Wiley at the Cell Theatre. She continues to mentor emerging playwrights through Untitled.

Piniella grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, and he is an alum of the ASP’s Development School for Youth and Youth Onstage! Programs. He has performed in Broadway shows like in Trouble in Mind (Roundabout Theatre) and Thoughts of a Colored Man (Golden Theatre). He was recently awarded the Thomas Barbour Award for Playwriting and gained a spot on the “50 under 50” notable alumni list by the City University of New York. Piniella has also acted across film and TV. His past credits include Reservation Dogs , Law & Order: SVU and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Rankin currently serves as the director of performance programs for ASP of New York and a longtime member of both the NYC Rep Ensemble and Castillo Theatre ensemble. His credits include the AUDELCO Award-winning Sally & Tom (The American Way) , Katori Hall’s Children of Killers, and The Donut Play (A Love Story in 24 Conversations). He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

The launch of the Council coincided with ASP’s completion of their mortgage on the West 42nd Street building. To mark the occasion, the organization will host a Mortgage Burning Celebration at the 42nd Street location. The event will include performances by theatre artists and young people helping to shepherd in the organization’s next phase as a nexus for performance, youth development, and interdisciplinary collaboration in New York City.

“We are creating a center where young people, artists, business and community leaders can build new relationships, expand access, and spur creativity through the developmental power of performance,” said Shadae McDaniel, president-elect of ASP, in a statement. “The Artistic Advisory Council helps deepen ASP’s connection to world-class artistry and ensures that the West 42nd Street Center continues to grow as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and human development through the arts.”