Stori Ayers is a New York--based Actor, Director and Co-founder of [RARE] Lotus Productions. Originally from Washington, DC., she has a passion for stories that challenge social norms, create conversations in the community, and ignite within her generation a spirit of activism. This season Stori has directed Dominique Morisseau's Blood at the Root at Chautauqua Theatre Company, Paradise Blue at The Geffen Playhouse, and Associate Directed on Skeleton Crew on Broadway. Stori assistant directed the world premiere of August Wilson's one-man show How I Learned What I Learned at the Signature Theatre (NYC). She was the 2018 & 2019 Directing Fellow at Chautauqua Theater Company where she assistant directed An Octoroon (Dir. Giovanna Sardelli), Into the Breeches (Dir. Laura Kepley), One Man Two Guvnors (Dir. Andrew Borba) and Amish Project (Dir. Sarah Wansley). Other directing credits include: Skeleton Crew (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); When Statues Fall (Cleveland Playhouse); Night Vision; Third Grade (Playing On Air); Blood at the Root (University of Michigan); Single Black Female (Penn State School of Theatre); Hip Hoperella; Here I Go, Boys. Wish Me Luck; and Fires in the Mirror (Fletcher Collins Theatre). Stori is a proud member of SDC and Actors’ Equity, holds a B.A. from Mary Baldwin University, an MFA in Acting from Penn State University, and is the former Executive Assistant to writers Dominique Morisseau and Katori Hall. She’s currently a writing assistant to Ms. Morisseau.