Theatre Directing Alum Mei Ann Teo '14 Named a United States Artist Fellow

Directing alum Mei Ann Teo '14 has been named a 2026 United States Artist Fellow for their work in theatre and performance. "It is my intention to make space for those who the world was not made for, and create radical care within the process of the work," says Teo, a director and dramaturg working at the intersection of civic, artistic, and contemplative practices.

In work spanning multiple genres of theatre, performance and film—including music theatre, intermedial participatory work, reimagining classics, and documentary theatre—Teo seeks to create theatre that pushes culture towards collective liberation. Teo champions often marginalized or ignored voices, with a particular focus towards queer, trans, and femme perspectives, creating work which unpacks accepted or canonical discourse and gives space to individual perspective. It is this impulse, as well as Teo’s adeptness and interest across disciplines, that aligns them so closely to United States Artists’ mission.

United States Artists is a Chicago-based national arts funding organization. The USA Fellowship awards fifty artists across the United States—spanning artistic disciplines both visual and performing—a $50,000 award, as well as access to professional services in financial planning, career development, and legal support. Chosen annually by a rotating panel of experts, some of whom are past-fellows themselves, fellows are selected based on the innovation of their artistic practice, the strength of their unique perspective, as well as their potential for growth within both their own practice and their field. Each year’s cohort reflects changes in trends both cultural and societal and aims to amplify a plurality of voices from a diverse background and perspectives that have been historically overlooked.

Teo’s work has been commissioned by the Prelude Fest, the Beijing International Festival and performed at venues like The Public Theatre and The Shed. In addition to their creative work, Teo has also taught Theatre at Harvard, NYU, Hampshire, and Carnegie Mellon. Formerly the Artistic Director of Musical Theatre Factory and the Associate Artistic Director and Director of New Work at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Teo currently serves as the Artistic Director of New Work at Pink Fang, a theatre company dedicated to championing multidisciplinary work dedicated to Teo’s mission for artistic expression and civic engagement.

"For two decades, United States Artists has advanced a simple yet powerful conviction—that artists are essential to the imagination and health of our society," says Judilee Reed, President and CEO of United States Artists. "Our commitment to unrestricted support, with programs such as the USA Fellowship, has enabled artists across every discipline and place to sustain their livelihoods, take creative risks, and define their own paths forward."