Daniel Gallant

Daniel Gallant is a theatrical producer, playwright, director and actor based in New York City, New York. He is also the current executive director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

Gallant grew up in Rockville, MD and attended Sidwell Friends school in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Swarthmore College in 1998, Gallant moved to New York City and worked at talent agency ICM Artists. Gallant produced and directed a number of small theater productions in New York. He received a master's degree in arts administration from Columbia University, and subsequently began working as Director of Theater Programming at the 92nd Street Y's Makor Center.^[1]

While at Makor, Gallant curated performances, readings and workshops of numerous plays and musicals. He created the Festival of 'Wrights,^[2] a theater series that premiered new work by such artists as Mark O'Donnell, Warren Leight and Craig Lucas and included readings featuring David Strathairn, Dan Hedaya, Paul Rudd, Martha Plimpton and other notable performers.^[3] He also moderated on-stage interviews featuring Tony Kushner, Wendy Wasserstein, Norman Mailer, Peter Falk, Neil LaBute, Chazz Palminteri, Liz Swados and other artists.^[4][5][6][7]

Gallant has also curated theater and talk events and taught classes at the 92nd Street Y's downtown Manhattan venue, 92YTribeca.^[8][9]

In 2007, Gallant produced and directed Five Story Walkup, a four-week benefit for the 13th Street Repertory Theatre; the show included premier stagings of short plays and monologues by Neil LaBute, John Guare, Quincy Long, Clay McLeod Chapman, Laura Shaine Cunningham and Daniel F. Levin.,^[10][11] The monologues and plays that constitute "Five Story Walkup" were published in the anthology THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS 2007-2008 by Applause Books in August 2009.^[12] In 2010, Gallant produced Seven Card Draw, a benefit for Dixon Place; this show featured premier stagings of short dramatic works by LaBute, Guare and the other authors who had contributed to Five Story Walkup, as well as a performance by Piper Perabo.^[13] The monologues and plays that constitute "Seven Card Draw" will be published in the anthology THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS 2009-2010 by Applause Books in August 2011.^[14]

In spring of 2008, Gallant was appointed as the new executive director of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a legendary artistic and cultural venue located in Manhattan's east village.^[15] Gallant joined the Cafe just before its 35th Anniversary Celebration, an enormous concert event at Manhattan's Town Hall.^[16][17]

Since Gallant's appointment, the Cafe's operating budget has increased significantly, as has event attendance.^[18] Gallant's management efforts have focused on modernizing and expanding the operations of the Cafe while maintaining its artistic and cultural traditions.^[19][20]

Gallant has also significantly expanded the Cafe’s online presence; according to the Wall Street Journal, “since late 2009, Mr. Gallant has exploited expanding social-media tools to grow the cafe from a small, volunteer-led venue best known for weekly poetry events to a thriving arts center with partnerships across the city. Through strategic use of Facebook, Twitter and a $10,000-per-month grant from Google, he said he has boosted online ticket sales by 30% and web traffic by 40%, and doubled the number of events from around one per evening to two or more.” ^[21] Gallant has given presentations about social media strategies for small businesses and non-profits at events including RealtimeNY 11 and a conference for small business owners sponsored by Google and Chase; summaries of his presentations have appeared on social-media-themed blogs.^{[22][23][24][25]}

In summer 2008, Gallant's play Gerald's Method was produced twice in New York (at Center Stage ^[26] and in the Midtown International Theatre Festival^[27]) and nominated by the New York Innovative Theatre Awards for best short script.^[28] Gallant's other short works have been staged at venues including Theater for the New City, the Cornelia Street Cafe and Mo Pitkins.^[29][30]

In fall 2008, Gallant produced the off-Broadway premiere of David Brandes' and Joseph Telushkin's play The Quarrel, based on their 1991 film of the same name.^[31] The play was staged at the DR2 Theatre in Union Square.

In winter 2008, Gallant produced the musical Ogden Nash's The Tales of Custard the Dragon (by Bradford W. Ross and Danny Whitman) off-Broadway at the DR2 Theatre.^[32]

Gallant has co-produced the long-running rock musicals Soul Searching and Generations.^[33] He also curated and hosted the multi-venue performance/reading series Acoustic Theater.^[34]

Gallant has appeared as an actor in several productions, including Five Story Walkup,^[35] Josephine Undone and Gerald's Method.^[36]

References

1. ^ Leibel, Aaron "Former Rockville resident produces off-Broadway show". Washington Jewish Week. FindArticles.com. 11 Sept, 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7768/is_200809/ai_n32200322/, retrieved 07 Oct, 2009.
2. ^ Archive of press release for 2003 Festival of ‘Wrights at Makor. https://lists.mayfirst.org/pipermail/rtsnyc/2003-December/001525.html, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
3. ^ Klasfeld, Adam “Scribes Will Converge for Third Festival of 'Wrights at 92nd Street Y”. Theatermania. 26 July 2004. http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm?int_news_id=4956, retrieved 07 Oct, 2009.
4. ^ Archive of the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC from 23 Oct 2006, featuring Peter Falk. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2006/10/23/segments/67596, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
5. ^ BWW News Desk “Kushner, Ives, Evil Dead, Etc. Part of Makor Jan. Line-Up”. Broadway World. 19 December 2006. http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=14497, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
6. ^ Archive of press release from the Great American Play Series. http://stephanmorrow1.tripod.com/, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
7. ^ Gans, Andrew “Wendy Wasserstein Part of Makor's Mixed Stage Mondays”. Playbill.com. 28 June 2003. http://web.playbill.com/news/article/80345.html, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
8. ^ 92Y blog entry and video clips from 06 May 2009 92YTribeca event “Print vs. Blog”. http://blog.92y.org/index.php/weblog/item/92ytribeca_video_print_vs_blog_round_one/, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
9. ^ 92YTribeca online listing for 13 May 2009 event “Acoustic Theater”. http://www.92y.org/shop/event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5TH27, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
10. ^ Hernandez, Ernio “Five Story Walkup — With LaBute, Guare Works — Starts 13th Street Rep Benefit Run March 21”. Playbill.com. 21 Mar 2007. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106711.html, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
11. ^ BWW News Desk “13th St. Rep Benefit to Include Works by Guare and LaBute”. Broadway World. 26 Feb 2007. http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=16178, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
12. ^ The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008. Ed. Barbara Parisi. New York: Applause Books, 2009. Print. (Listing at publisher’s website). http://www.applausepub.com/itemDetail.jsp?itemid=314796&order=0&keywords=best+american+short+plays+2007-2008+, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
13. ^ Bacalzo, Dan "Piper Perabo Among Performers of Seven Card Draw at Dixon Place". Theatermania. 5 Mar 2010. http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/03-2010/piper-perabo-among-performers-of-seven-card-draw-a_25516.html, retrieved 10 July 2011.
14. ^ BWW News Desk "The Best American Short Plays 2009-2010 Released 8/23". 24 Jun 2011. http://books.broadwayworld.com/article/The-Best-American-Short-Plays-2009-2010-Released-823-20110624, retrieved 10 July 2011.
15. ^ Schwarzfeld, Matt “The City’s Latest Hirings and Retirings”, City Limits Weekly, 12 May 2008. http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=3555, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
16. ^ Reznik, Svieta “The Nuyorican celebrates poets aloud”, The Villager, 30 Apr 2008. http://www.thevillager.com/villager_261/thenuyorican.html, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
17. ^ Richardson, Clem “Nuyorican cafe to celebrate with big bash at Town Hall”, New York Daily News, 21 Apr 2008. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/04/21/2008-04-21_nuyorican_cafe_to_celebrate_with_big_bas.html, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
18. ^ Souccar, Miriam “Nuyorican Café Exhibits Growth”, Crain’s New York Business, 6 Sept 2009. http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090906/SUB/309069980, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
19. ^ Weaver, Caty “The Spoken Word is Still Heard After 35 Years At Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City”, Voice of America Special English, 27 Apr 2009. Transcript of radio broadcast. http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2009-04/2009-04-27-voa4.cfm?CFID=177262034&CFTOKEN=45474606&jsessionid=6630affe5831504b2f443b6468534b401a5f, retrieved 08 Oct, 2009.
20. ^ Kaiser, Michael “An Inspiring Trip to New York City,” The Huffington Post, 28 Sep 2009. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-kaiser/an-inspiring-trip-to-new_b_301590.html, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
21. ^ Sussman, Anna “One Little Poetry Cafe, Thousands of Friends”, The Wall Street Journal, 24 Feb 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703529004576160513970092494.html, retrieved 10 July 2011.
22. ^ McNaughton, Marissa “How the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Gained 20,000 Facebook Fans,” The Realtime Report, 15 June 2011. http://therealtimereport.com/2011/06/15/how-the-nuyorican-poets-cafe-gained-20000-facebook-fans/, retrieved 10 July 2011.
23. ^ Sussman, Anna “One Little Poetry Cafe, Thousands of Friends”, The Wall Street Journal, 24 Feb 2011. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703529004576160513970092494.html, retrieved 10 July 2011.
24. ^ McNaughton, Marissa “How the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Gained 20,000 Facebook Fans,” The Realtime Report, 15 June 2011. http://therealtimereport.com/2011/06/15/how-the-nuyorican-poets-cafe-gained-20000-facebook-fans/, retrieved 10 July 2011.
25. ^ Nhan, Doris “Online outreach helps a cafe make new fans and keep the old,” Smartblog, 1 July 2011. http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/07/01/how-a-small-business-used-social-media-to-spread-the-word/, retrieved 10 July 2011.
26. ^ Archive of New York Innovative Theatre Awards listing for Gerald’s Method, May–June 2008. http://www.nyitawards.com/oobshows/show.asp?showID=1123, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
27. ^ Battersby, Charles “Method – or madness?”, The off-off-broadway review, July 2008. http://www.oobr.com/top/volFourteen/five/geraldsmethod.htm, retrieved 8 Oct 2009.
28. ^ Hetrick, Adam “Off Off-Broadway's IT Awards Presented Sept. 22”, Playbill.com, 22 Sep 2008. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121524.html, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
29. ^ “Goings on About Town, Readings and Talks”, The New Yorker, 20 Aug 2007. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/readings/2007/08/20/070820goab_GOAT_above1, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
30. ^ Gallant, Daniel. “From Josephine Undone.” Talk to Me: Monologue Plays. Ed. Eric Lane and Nina Shengold. New York: Vintage Books, 2004. 501-506. Print. http://books.google.com/books?id=GWAbfubN7UcC&pg=PA502&lpg=P A502&dq=%22daniel+gallant%22+%22cornelia+street+cafe%22&sour ce=bl&ots=EvrspWJKkG&sig=TE6FWYFFNmSmgiAzSvQt60e4sMc&hl=en&e i=h7LHSvaeL4rg8QayrIniCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnu m=4#v=onepage&q=%22daniel%20gallant%22%20%22cornelia%20stree t%20cafe%22&f=false, retrieved 08 Oct 2009.
31. ^ Leibel, Aaron "Former Rockville resident produces off-Broadway show". Washington Jewish Week. FindArticles.com. 11 Sept, 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7768/is_200809/ai_n32200322/, retrieved 07 Oct, 2009.
32. ^ Archive of Theateronline.com listing for November–December 2008 production of Custard the Dragon. http://www.theateronline.com/playbill.xzc?PK=19594, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
33. ^ Archive of listing for The Tank’s November 2007 production of Soul Searching. http://www.thetanknyc.org/?q=content/soul-searching, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
34. ^ Archive of Theatermania listing for August 2007 performance of Acoustic Theater. http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/136299, retrieved 12 Oct 2009.
35. ^ Boone, Steven “Home Team”, Off Off Online, 22 Mar 2007. http://www.offoffonline.com/archives.php?id=981, retrieved 8 Oct 2009.
36. ^ Battersby, Charles “Method – or madness?”, The off-off-broadway review, July 2008. http://www.oobr.com/top/volFourteen/five/geraldsmethod.htm, retrieved 8 Oct 2009.

Persondata
Name	Gallant, Daniel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death