Biography

Elizabeth Lucas is a director, producer, and serial creative entrepreneur currently launching the new company Free Range Humans, producing story-driven immersive entertainment, from site specific theatre to virtual reality.

She most recently served as the Producing Artistic Director of New Spire Arts, a new performing arts venue and education facility in downtown Frederick, MD. She launched the organization from the ground up, including vision, branding, contracts, legal structures, PR, marketing, and programs.

Elizabeth made her feature directing debut with three genre movies about New York City past, present and future: her rock musical movie, CLEAR BLUE TUESDAY, her slasher flick, RED HOOK (produced by Red Sand Media, distributed by Phase Four Entertainment ), and her Sci-fi FADE TO WHITE, all of which garnered award recognition and have gone on to distribution. She’s also made several shorts, including the multi-award-winning ISABELLA RICO, which appeared in 33 festivals worldwide and won Best Director and Special Achievement awards.

Elizabeth has been warmly reviewed by the New York Times for her musical theatre directing and original narratives, working with Tony-winning talent and Broadway writers from NYC to Alaska. She has most enjoyed directing new musicals and loves helping emerging writers and artists find their voice. Elizabeth directed a critically acclaimed production of her own new narrative for Adam Guettel’s MYTHS AND HYMNS for Prospect Theater in New York. She directed the world premiere of Mark Hollman’s BIGFOOT AND OTHER LOST SOULS for Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska, then again in Anchorage, Alaska. Elizabeth has developed new musicals for the theatre from countless readings to full productions, including several New York Musical Theatre Festival premieres: ZAPATA, THE CURE (a rock & roll vampire fable), WILD ABOUT HARRY (a dance piece about Leona Helmsley), THE LAST STARFIGHTER (based on the film), THE VIEW FROM HERE, CAPTAIN GRAVY’S WAVY NAVY (developing for television), and MOST LIKELY TO DIE (reading). Her Midwest premiere of HELLO AGAIN won two After Dark Awards and was recommended for a Jefferson Award. Her productions of FOOTLOOSE and JEKYLL & HYDE garnered rave reviews at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. Favorite stage directing credits include NINE, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and the Marta Kauffman/David Crane/Michael Skloff-written RAPUNZEL.

Elizabeth has assistant directed over 30 musicals, plays and operas with Tony-Winning director Walter Bobbie, international opera director Rhoda Levine, multi-award winning author, actor and director Simon Callow, Paper Mill Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Hoebee, and many others, at theatres such as Glimmerglass Opera, Paper Mill Playhouse, City Center Encores!, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theatre, Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre, and the Chicago Humanities Festival.

As a producer, Elizabeth is one of the founders of the New York Music Theatre Festival, for which she spearheaded the Movie Musical Screening Series. She also founded the Door County Opera and the Chicago Directors’ Forum and assistant produced the concert musical Galas for two seasons of the Chicago Humanities Festival. She was a producer on two of her three feature films and all of her short films.

Elizabeth is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, NY Women in Film & Television, 2004 Berlin Film Festival Talent Campus, the 2004 Commercial Theatre Institute 14-Week Program, the League of American Theatres Producer Development Program and the 1998 Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab, all exclusive industry programs for producers & directors. She has been a featured writer for SPUNK Magazine, GREAT LAKES STAGES and STAGE DIRECTIONS magazines. She received her Bachelor of Music in Lyric Theatre from Northwestern University and a Film Certificate from New York University.

The Gallup Strengths Finder and Entrepreneur Profile says Elizabeth is a self-assured strategic activator interested in ideas and the future with a talent for knowledge, delegation and disruption. The Pottermore Sorting Hat tells her she belongs in Gryffindor. Both are true.