Director Daniel Ellis received a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School (NYC) in 2002 where he gained attention for his passion and commitment towards the development of new work. Daniel's NYC directing credits include the premieres of Kevin Podgorski's Pruning Rachel Rose, David Ben-Aire'a Traindog, and Dan Kipp's What Friends Do (Actors Studio Drama School); Kevin Podgorski's Waltz to Eternity (DAP Ensemble), Phillip Guttman's Sweet Release (Low Creek Productions); and J. Talon-Sonza's Migration Blues: Woman of Oz; the workshop production of M. Morgan'a Death by Applesauce (Korkoro and MLS Productions); J. Talon-Sonza's Migration Blues; First Night and Nichol Alexander's Beyond Reason (Actors Studio Playwright/Director Workshop).

Daniel is a core member of Epic Repertory Theatre Company, currently theatre-company-in-residence at the Eugene O'Neill Center. As a member, he directed the New York Off-Broadway premiere of Frank Gagliano's Dancing With Joy and a reading of Kevin Podgorski's Sid and Marshall featuring Tony award-winning actress, Carlin Glynn.

Daniel arrived in New York with over seven years of regional credits, including Painting Churches (Phoenix Theatre); A Little Night Music, The Elephant Man, The Sum of Us, and Blood Brothers (Weekend Theatre Company); and Crimes of the Heart (Conway Arts Association). An accomplished set and lighting designer, he has designed the sets and lights for such shows as Plaza Suite, Piaf, Six Degrees of Separation, The Elephant Man, Assassins, and Kiss Me, Kate.

Daniel is a "Working Finalist" for Lifetime membership at the Actors Studio and is currently a part of the Playwright/Directors Workshop at the Actors Studio. Daniel originally hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, where he obtained a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology from Hendrix College. He is an associate member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

birthday: October 7