Michael DeFilippis he/him

Michael DeFilippis is the Artistic Director and co-founder of New American Ensemble. An actor and director originally from Chicago, he received his degree in acting from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. While in London, he spent two years in apprenticeship to British director and pedagogue James Kemp, in the lineage of the Yat Malmgren Character Analysis work, developed out of Laban movement theory. Defilippis has trained for over a decade under Brian McManamon and has studied directing under John Gould-Rubin, founding member of Labyrinth Theater Company.  Michael is an alumnus of the directing track at the National Theatre Institute, and in 2025 was selected to attend the LaMama Umbria International Director’s Symposium. Michael now serves on the directing faculty of the National Theatre Institute.