About

Based in New York City, Mikayla Stanley is a producer, actor, director, designer, teacher and puppeteer.

Mikayla is co-artistic director and lead producer of Hit the Lights! Theater Co., an award-winning company created out of an artistic agreement to tell simple stories through unconventional ways. With Hit the Lights! Theater Co., Mikayla has has developed four original shadow puppet productions (DUNGEON, WHALES, HORSETALE, and ISLA); an original site-specific immersive theater experience in collaboration with the Know Theatre of Cincinnati (THE OTHER RHINE) ; a live cinematic puppet adaptation of Gimlet Media’s hit podcast (THE HABITAT); an original adaptation of Hamlet created in partnership with Portland Stage Company; a live installation in collaboration with New York Botanical Garden’s Spooky Pumpkin Nights; a theatrical adaptation of the book (TASTE THE CLOUDS) commissioned by New York City Children’s Theater; and a live music video for Grammy Award-nominated Sammy Miller and the Congregation.

As the lead producer of Hit the Lights!, Mikayla has has worked in collaboration with Ars Nova (NYC, company-in-residence), La Mama (NYC), New Victory Theater (NYC), Dixon Place (NYC), Ritz Theater (Minneapolis, MN), Jungle Theater (Minneapolis, MN), Know Theater (Cincinnati, OH), Franklin Stage Company (New York), Gimlet Festival (NYC), the NYC Fringe Festival, Port Fringe (Portland, ME), Minnesota Fringe (Minneapolis, MN), Cincinnati Fringe Festival (Cincinnati, OH), and others throughout the US.  Hit the Lights! was 2018 and 2019 Ars Nova company-in-residence.

As a director, Mikayla’s credits include THE BLUE JAR (The Cherry Lane Theater), ISLA (New Ohio Theatre’s ICE Factory Festival), HORSETALE (Ars Nova) and THE OTHER RHINE (The Know Theatre of Cincinnati).

As a teacher, Mikayla has taught with William’s College’s STUDIO62 summer theater program (Hit the Lights! was company-in-residence and guest faculty). Mikayla has also taught at The New York University, The University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Elefante Music School, and CO/LAB Theater Group in NYC.

She is currently a M.F.A. Candidate in Yale's Theatre Management program.