HI there! I’m Sophie Sam

ABOUT + NEWS

Sophie Sam (She/Her/Hers) is an NYC based trans director and actress. She is an alumna of the National Theater Institute, and has a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and Entertainment Arts from Northern Michigan University.

Sophie most recently directed Manic Pixie Nightmare by Kimi Handa Brown at the National Women’s Theatre Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was recognized with the Jury’s Choice for Best Direction. She has directed the world premieres of The Question Game by Ashley Lauren Rogers at Trans Theatre Fest hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Happiness is Homemade by Quinn Xavier Hernandez with Superior Arts Youth Theater.

Her staging of Crystal Skillman’s OPEN with Party Claw Productions was touted by Time Out New York as one of the best pieces of live theatre to watch that week. Her production of Next to Normal by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt at Northern Michigan University was the first time an undergraduate student had ever directed a musical on their mainstage. She received a Certificate of Merit from KCACTF for her work on Next to Normal.

Sophie is dedicated to telling stories that elevate and empower the voices of women and the LGBTQIA+ community. 

One of her main philosophies as a director is to ensure that every step of the process establishes thoughtful, collaborative, and safe spaces for all. She firmly believes that you don’t have to sacrifice the well-being of anyone to create a powerful, thought provoking piece of theatre. Sophie also believes that every member of the team is an essential artistic voice that can and should shape the piece.

As an actress, you can catch her in the award winning webseries Northbound, streaming for free on Seeka.tv. She also performed with Rising Sun Performance Company as a part of their 14th St Y Lab, a process where she assisted in the development of two new plays; Canary in a Cage by Anel Carmona and Within Our Walls by Mateo Moreno.

As a playwright, Sophie is currently at work on Buffering, a new play that she hopes to share in developmental readings soon.

upcoming directing projects

Pluto is Listening by David James Parr at Under St. Marks in NYC on May 17th and 19th. Ticket info available soon!