DIRECTOR.

Creating worlds where safety breeds success.

Instagram Youtube Link
"Mayah is an incredibly intuitive and focused director; actors hang on her every word. She brings such light, kindness, and brilliance to a space that anyone would be lucky to have her on their team."
Fae HarttArtistic Director - Epheverie Theater Company
"Mayah Lourdes Burke is one of the most wonderful collaborators you can find due to her intelligence, organization, and professionalism. Working with her once turned me into a forever fan of her style, execution, and composition in the room. She's the kind of creative you dream of sharing a rehearsal space with."
M.D. SchafferPlaywright, "Missy" & " Communication"
"Mayah is a brilliant, creative leader who brings grace and kindness to every room she enters and shows a deep care for each individual she works with. As a director, she always has a clear artistic vision and leads with positivity, joy, and curiosity, consistently producing phenomenal work."
Sloane FischerStage Manager
"Mayah is intentional about curating a space that feels safe for both human and artistic expression. Mayah leads with understanding, care, and a level of attentiveness that fosters an environment for creativity, play, and true collaboration. Her vision is clear and her direction is concise, which makes my job as a performer significantly easier. It is a pleasure to be a part of her company in any capacity."
Zaria AikensActor
"Working with Mayah has been an absolute joy and a pleasure. The room she creates always feels safe and secure, allowing me to play and continuously discover without fear. I know that I can always trust her guidance, and how Mayah carries her room has become the standard for the rooms I want to continue to see myself in as an actor."
Kareem A. BrowneActor

About Mayah

"I direct theater that challenges the veil between a play's ending and real life beginning. I’m a New York native director, movement and intimacy coordinator, committed to reshaping traditional theater into spaces of community care both on- and off-stage and screen."

"My practice centers the human connection and our deep need for collaboration, with a focus on actor safety and offering space for open communication. I’m passionate about education, devising, new work, and stories that center the experiences of Black people, queer people, womxn, and mental health."

"I believe the process is just as sacred as the final performance, and at the heart of it all is a devotion to creating spaces where artists feel seen, heard, and safe to take risks."

Mayah is a two-time SDCF Fellowship Recipient, a 24 Hour Plays Alumn, Project Manager at Epheverie Theatre Company, and a member of The Maker's Ensemble. She's worked at BAM, Manhattan Theatre Club, HERE Arts, Classic Stage Company, The Chain, The Tank, and has a creative home with Ghostlight Players in her hometown of Staten Island.

Mayah also has many producing credits, most notably being a recipient of the NAMT Producing Residency as well as a part of the TPOC '24 cohort. She self-produced several theater festivals, as well as her original play 4SZNS, at El Barrio's Artspace in 2022. She is the associate producer and assistant director on BETHESDA, a seven-time award-winning film.

             Let’s make something meaningful together.