PJ Paparelli conceived, co-wrote and directed the original productions of columbinus at New York Theatre Workshop, Perseverance and Round House Theatres. He is the founder and artistic director of the United States Theatre Project. He is also the artistic director of Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska. From 1998 to 2004, he served as the associate director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., and has directed Shakespeare across the country including Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Shakespeare Santa Cruz and The Folger Theatre. Raven Odyssey, an adaptation of Alaska Native Raven stories, premiered at Perseverance Theatre in 2007. He is currently developing USTP's second project, American Family, which explores the chemistry and identity of the modern family, examining the histories of eight diverse families all dealing with personal loss. He received two 2006 Helen Hayes nominations for columbinus and the 2003 GLAAD Media Award for the D.C. premiere of Corpus Christi. He has taught/directed Shakespeare at the Juilliard School, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and the Moscow Art Theatre School. He is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and lives in Juneau, Alaska.
