top of page

EXECUTIVE RESUME

DANIEL HENNING

Daniel@DanielHenning.net 

 

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

  • CREATED non-profit arts organization recognized with 209 awards for excellence over 30 years

  • INSPIRED over 800 creative teams developing and producing new plays and musical

  • PRODUCED over 75 plays and musicals in Mainstage Productions and several films

  • DIRECTED over 50 plays, musicals, films, streaming videos

  • DEVELOPED over 900 new plays including 350 by teenage writers

  • PLANNED and led 30 Theatrical Seasons

  • TAUGHT over 1,000 emerging artists to find their unique creative voice

  • REALIZED vision in collaboration with world-class artists from Tony Award winners to Academy Award winners as well as young emerging talent in theatre, film, TV and YouTube

  • ENSURED equity and diversity in artistic participants resulting in recognition from the NAACP and the LA Times as early as 1991

  • ASSEMBLED teams and collaborated with diverse artists in all disciplines

  • SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER from individuals to government grants to foundation support

  • BRAND CREATOR and promoter with experience in branding, marketing, and PR

  • ARTICULATES VISION to engage local community, audiences and government agencies

  • BUSINESS LEADER keeping non-profit corporation thriving in challenging economic times

 

 

WORK EXPERIENCE

 

THE BLANK THEATRE                                                                                                                           1990 – 2022 (now Emiritus)

 

FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

  • Envisions, creates, realizes and supervises all institutional programs and artistic productions

  • Leads approximately 50 different creative projects annually

  • Manages all business affairs of the company including staff, budgets and vision

 

PRESIDENT - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • Oversees board development, financial oversight, strategic planning, and shaping of long-term goals in a collaborative setting

 

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS

  • Led over 70 creative teams of productions as “Collaborator-in-Chief”

  • Planned 30 theatrical seasons - choosing material, assembling artistic staffs, casting actors

  • Produced and shepherded entire artistic process to multi-award-winning results

 

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

  • Founded, designed and leads the nation’s only professional competition that produces the work of playwrights 19 years of age and younger

  • Mentored and produced 350 plays by youth some of whom have gone on to become Tony Award winners and Pulitzer Prize finalists

 

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

  • Envisioned, created, realized and supervise a flagship Apprenticeship program

  • Trained over 200 future Theatre artists from all over the world with hands-on immersion training

THE ART OF ACTING – STELLA ADLER STUDIO                                                                               2017 – 2020

Faculty Member

  • Teach and developed “Audition Technique” course instilling presentation, preparation, material selection, professionalism, and how to book the job for diverse student body

 

BLACK CAT 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION                                                                               February 2017

Executive Producer, Creator       

  • Conceived, produced, hosted large outdoor Festival and rally in support of the 50th Anniversary of the first major LGBTQ civil rights demonstration in the U.S.  – “The Black Cat Riots”

  • Secured participation of partners including LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, U.S. Supreme Court Prop 8 Plaintiffs Paul Kitano and Jeff Zarrilo

  • Directed “re-creation” of the original 1967 protest and political rally

  • Generated news stories from NPR Morning Edition, KABC-TV, KCBS TV, KCAL 9, KCRW, LA Weekly, three different stories in the LA Times and over 500,000 social media hits

 

DANIEL HENNING ACTING STUDIO                                                                                                    2002 – 2020

Administrator and Instructor

  • Founded studio and designed several class offerings: Monologue Preparation, Advanced Scene Study, Scene Study Intensives and “The Core” – a unique acting workshop

  • Instill in students an ability to examine their uniqueness in the work

 

STAYIN’ LIVE! INITATIVE                                                                                                                         2013 – 2020

Founder and Chairman

  • Led initiative to create the official designation of “Hollywood Theatre Row” which resulted in an LA City Council resolution passed to declare the first “live theatre district” in LA

  • Created strong partnerships with two City Council offices (CD 4 & 13), Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, VICA, Hollywood Arts Council, Media District BID, Neighborhood Councils

 

ACTORS FUND OF AMERICA                                                                                                                 2008 – present

Western Regional Councilor

  • Created new ideas and initiatives to further brand

  • Consult on issues of outreach to community, liaised with government officials

  • Aid social media presence as part of Marketing/Outreach committee

  • Produced video during COVID that had over 2 Million hits and raised throusands of dollars

 

HOLLYWOOD ARTS COUNCIL                                                                                                               2009 - 2015

Vice President                                  

  • Co-hosted Charlie Awards (with George Pennacchio) to articulate the vision and excite potential donors and supporters 

  • Created new policies and procedures, hired Executive Director, guided 30 year President in her transition to President Emeritus

  • Non-profit "guru” on matters of corporate behavior and fiduciary responsibility to Board and staff

 

ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE

  • Director, writer, producer, lyricist, actor for theatre and film/TV

  • Awarded over 70 Honors for Excellence for producing, directing, writing and acting from NAACP, L.A. Weekly, Telly, Ovation, LA Drama Critics Circle, BackStage Garland, Drama-Logue Awards

 

GUEST LECTURER                                                                                                                                     1995 – present

  • University of Nebraska – Lincoln, San Francisco State, Chapman College, Actors Network

ADDITIONAL WORK EXPERIENCE

  • Lyricist & Librettist for MTV Mini Musical

  • Film Producer (3D, shorts and documentaries)

  • Story Analyst for TV production company

  • Commercial Casting Director

  • Producer of daily Profit & Loss Report for the Securities Division of Chase Manhattan Bank

  • Award winning audiobook narrator

 

AWARDS/COMMENDATIONS

  • Audie Award Finalist for Best Fantasy for audiobook narration of The House in the Cerulean Sea

  • California State Legislature LGBTQ Pride Honoree - 2018

  • L.A. City Council Resolution in honor of Daniel Henning and The Blank Theatre 

  • Hollywood Arts Council Charlie Award  - for “pursuing artistic excellence and for nurturing the next generation of playwrights”

  • 2017 Telly Award for "Best Writer" for the Feature Film - The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare)

  • L.A. Drama Critic Circle Award – “Best Production” and 15 other nominations and 12 other wins

  • NAACP Theatre Award – “Best Musical” and 11 other nominations and 3 other wins

  • L.A. Weekly Awards – “Musical of the Year” and 32 other nominations and 7 other wins

  • Ovation Awards – “Best Musical” and 23 other nominations and 4 other wins

  • BackStage Garland Awards – “Best Production” and 80 other nominations and 19 other wins

  • DramaLogue Awards – “Best Production” and 8 other wins

  • BroadwayWorld Awards – “Best Production” and 14 other wins and nomination

  • AudioFile Earphones Award (six times)- Non-fiction and Fiction narration

  • Society of Voice Arts Award - 8 nominations Non-fiction and Fiction narration

EDUCATION

  • New York University, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Drama  David Mamet, Wendy Wasserstein, Dario Fo, Elizabeth Swados

  • Circle in the Square, New York   Elinor Renfield, Alan Langdon, Jacqueline Brooks, Terese Hayden

  • American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco   Annette Bening, William Ball, Alan Fletcher

  • Bloomberg Philanthropies - Arts Innovation and Management Grantee – two year program

  • LA County Arts Leadership Initiative Program –six month program for selected arts leaders

  • Landmark Education – Graduate of the Core Curriculum - Leadership empowerment training

UNION AFFILIATIONS:  SDC, SAG/AFTRA, ASCAP

 

Watch Daniel's Opening Remarks at Stayin’ Live! Summit -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty3aWbmp3fg 

bottom of page