PEOPLE
Joel Kirk
Artistic Director & Founder
Joel Kirk is a New York City theatre director and producer who specializes in the development of new plays and musicals. He has worked with New World Stages, Playwrights Horizons, NYMF, The Lark, New Dramatists, Sheen Center, Hudson Guild Theatre, Wide Eyed Productions, WorkShop Theatre, to name a few. Recently he worked with Tony Award Winner Reed Birney and Tony Award Nominee Sydney Lucas on the play Changeover. He has guest directed for NYU'S Grad Playwriting Program, Ball State University, Juilliard, and Fordham University's Playwriting Program. He is the Chairman/CEO of Joel Kirk Productions: a company that produces commercial theatre.
Before launching Discovering Broadway, Joel joined NewYorkRep as their first Associate Artistic Director. He proposed and launched the company's education fellowship. He worked alongside Artistic Director Markus Potter and Executive Director Gayle Waxenberg.
As a filmmaker, his documentary Race Across America: Gears to a Cure premiered at Flix Brewhouse in Indianapolis. His work for IWDC was featured at the Indianapolis Roof Ballroom. In 2012, his short film Rotating Clock won Heartland Film Festival. He directed, produced, and co-authored the film Of What Remains which won Best Screenplay and Best Editing from C.H.S Film Festival.
As a writer, he co-authored the new musical If You Don’t Outdie Me in association with the Virginia B. Ball Center Commission and the Brown County Playhouse. He wrote the play The Authority which was a semifinalist for the Dennis and Victoria Ross Foundation. Joel is a two-time finalist for the Drama League Directing Fellowships. He is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union Observership Class of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. Joel graduated Ball State University in three years with a degree in Theatrical Directing. You can learn more at joelkirk.org or follow him on Instagram at joeltkirk.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jill Reese
Attorney - Wagner Reese
Stephen Wagner
Partner - Wagner/Reese
Jill Zaniker
Manages Jeff Zaniker Memorial Foundation for the Arts
Randy Sorrell
SURROUNDINGS by NatureWorks
David A. Temple
Partner- Drewry Simmons Vornehm, LLP
Lezlie Morgan Heath
Non-Profit Leader
Albert John "A.J." Allen MD, PhD
Senior Medical Fellow, Eli Lilly and Company
Anthony Lazzara
President - LRG Restaurants LLC
Anthony's Chophouse and 3UP
Dean Glascock
Sr. Residential Broker - F.C. Tucker
Sam Arce
V.P. - F.C. Tucker
Brian Bondus
Director - ALO Property Group
Karen Barnes
Volunteer
Lisa Miller
Volunteer
June McCarty Clair
Volunteer
Phil Kirk
Realtor - Plat Collective
Owner - IndyRustic LLC
Lynda Goeke
Owner of Goeke Group/Chaos Catering
David Owens
Corporate Marketing Analyst - Salesforce
ADVISORY BOARD
Chair
Frank Basile
Senior Vice President - Gene B. Glick Company, Retired
Joanna Taft
Executive Director - Harrison Center
Terry Anker
Chairman- Anker Consulting Group
Izabela Ozdemir
Principal - OVAS Design LLC
Don Woodley
Principal - Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management
Stan Hurt
Retired
Mo Merhoff
President - OneZone Chamber of Commerce
Lawren K. Mills
Partner, Ice Miller LLP
Doug Wilson
Chairman - Monon Capital LLC
Dave Neff
CRO - Prolific
Kelly Butler Smith
Community Leader
PLATINUM CONTRIBUTORS
Sajan and Rayvey George
Founder & CEO at Polk Capital
Cathryn Deal
Volunteer
The Lacy Foundation
Zakir Khan
CEO, Founder at Carmel Investment Group
Marianne Glick
Chairman - Eugene and Marilyn Glick Family Foundation
Don Knebel
Volunteer
Julie Goodman
President & CEO - Arts Council of Indianapolis
Laurie Siler
Senior Vice President - PEDCOR
Brian and Carol Urbanski
CFO - Allied Solutions
Estridge Family Foundation
