Brian Russell works through his company as a director/writer/composer/producer and is also artist-in-residence at The Breakthrough Group, a consulting firm that uses story and strategic conversation to build individual and organizational capabilities of our clients, mostly Fortune 500 companies. He served as producing artistic director of American Theater Company (ATC) in Chicago from March 1997 to September 2002. He directed more than a dozen shows at ATC including Lee Blessing’s TWO ROOMS, Sam Shepard’s A LIE OF THE MIND, the world premiere of Nicholas Rudall’s translation of MEDEA, David Mamet’s AMERICAN BUFFALO (co-directed with Mike Nussbaum), THE THREEPENNY OPERA, and the world premiere of Edward Mast’s THE MILLION BELLS OF OCEAN. He recently directed a critically acclaimed production of Edward Albee’s THREE TALL WOMEN at  Apple Tree Theatre, where he will next direct Lee Blessing’s THE WINNING STREAK, and where he previously directed Israel Horovitz’s MY OLD LADY and music directed THE SPITFIRE GRILL.  From 1993-97, he was associate artistic director of Northlight Theatre, where he directed ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE (which enjoyed a 15-month commercial transfer), the world premiere of Jim Post’s MARK TWAIN AND THE LAUGHING RIVER, A PERFECT GANESH, and ALL IN THE TIMING (also at City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh), among others. Other credits include CARMEN at Sarasota Opera; THE ELIXIR OF LOVE, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, AMISTAD, ROMEO ET JULIETTE and LA BOHEME, all for the Lyric Opera Center for New American Artists; and Beckett’s ACT WITHOUT WORDS I.  Prior to moving to Chicago in 1992, he was a freelance director with credits including the Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis’ National Tour, PIPPI LONGSTOCKING, Menotti’s opera MARIA GOLOVIN at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and MARK TWAIN! THE MUSICAL in Elmira, NY, among many others. He served on the faculties of Loyola University Theatre Department, Playwrights Horizons Theatre School at New York University (where he received his training) and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. He also served for four years on the board of the League of Chicago Theatres, is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the American Guild of Musical Artists, and served for 8 years as an on-site reporter for the National Endowment for the Arts.